The Starlet and the Dealer
by andthecosmogirl
Summary: "Not everyone is going to love you, babe. You're an acquired taste." ZoeZig (Updated 1/13)
1. Persona non Grata

I came up with this idea of a story in a dream and by watching too much _Grease_. Please review and let me know how you feel. These two really interested me both together and apart.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing except the shirt on my back.

**One**

Persona Non Grata

Zoe Rivas, child-starlet was the epitome of popular with teenaged girls. She was _just_ sixteen herself.

Piles and piles of both open and unopened letters handwritten and typed come from girls all over, some in English some in other languages that only a translator could read litter her bedroom. If the girls knew her day to day life they likely wouldn't have had such nice things to say. Honestly, they would have probably of text messaged and tweeted their thoughts or anonymously hurl threats from a computer screen. That is if they even knew how to use a computer.

The older lot knew better, they knew the rumor mill _it's the way it is though_, that's what _everyone_ says. Seasoned fans, ones who have been watching since the shows inception. Her mother always tells her not to gripe about it. She pushes it as far back into her mind as possible. "Not everyone is going to love you, babe. You're an _acquired_ taste."

Boys weren't prevalent in Zoe's life; most of her waking hours was on set or in tutoring. In character she had the boys, the glamorous life. By night she had little to no one. She had a few boys look her way but when it came to the girl who had everything, every Barbie and anything she could want materialistically it didn't affect her when others girls began to dislike her. Loneliness was sort of this longtime friend because her friendships with her peers rarely lasted. She made friends with adults but they were always preoccupied. She found their lives much more interesting and besides she was a lot more comfortable around people older as opposed to people younger or her own age. She became severely attached to _Westdrive_ and the life it granted her. It only further acted to mask the truth, that Zoe was never her own person and no one knew the real person inside of her.

The bravery of her persona was something that redeemed her from what a rotten person that the people in her personal life knew her or alleged her to be.

Her posters graced and plastered bedroom walls of an adoring legion of fans. Her soft porcelain face graced teen magazines, heralded for her true to life portrayal of a world she didn't know but only pretended to know. That there, that fact was something that differed with her and her character that she hadn't the slightest clue what a real high school was like. She deeply believed it was just like her character and the world she lived in. She always preferred cushy Gatsby Garcia's life instead of her lonely world she hates more than anything. She relished being top dog on campus. She had no problem tearing down her peers like a defense mechanism.

How she coped you might ask? She mostly just managed to dissociate and figuratively _become_ her character Gatsby Garcia and just live vicariously through her. No prom no problem she had everyone one-upped her TV prom was simply her _prom_. Unfortunately, though her off set her antics both horrified her bosses and angered her co-stars so there was this tension that plagued the set. The show-runners were growing progressively annoyed with her and were sort of looking for an out for her character. Enter, the cancer plot. It was the only time she thought her life was in jeopardy and . . . you know what? It was. For once there was nothing she really could have done.

To fans of course she was the crown jewel of the show. Gatsby was the ideal, queen bee and prom queen, homecoming queen and resident bitch; both liked and hated universally and now her character has cancer. Not everyone loved Miss Garcia, some fans who have grown out of her type out hate on fan blogs that maybe she should just _die_ already, that she serves no purpose anymore.

She pretends not to be hurt by it. She's an actress after all, so she finds it easy to mask defeat.

However she's been in talks with the show runners and writers _begging_ that she can't stand to see her character get the ax. The light at the end of the tunnel was that there was a writer who tended to believe in her though, his name was Curtis. He was twenty-three and sort of new to the season, he's been pretty central and instrumental to her characters' redemption through her cancer the writing team was already well into the developmental stages of the plot, Curtis worked his way in to make it so that people would be emotionally positive toward the ice queen and sort of therefore melt her heart. The writers were sold on the idea but no one knew if there would be a future for Garcia after it goes through the stages, how long could they milk the plot line? Only time would tell. Time was only ticking away. She was beginning to lose what little hope she already had, it was time to reach out, and her naïvety would only be proven to show.

With Curtis, the writer team and show runners wanted him fresh out of college they took somewhat of a shine to him when he sent in this fan script. Also they believed that he could write good teenagers because the age difference is pretty narrow. Since he has sort of spearheaded into making the language more believable she finds the things she's been saying more true and proper to situations instead of robotic and tried and true saccharine sweet yet typical mean girl. Zoe being quite shallow cloud opinion but truthfully he wasn't what _she'd_ call attractive. In fact she read in _Girltrash_ most teenagers based their liking to a member of the opposite sex on their looks and _then_ whatever comes out of their mouth. Zoe knew she had to play the game to keep in good graces; she even stopped bullying her cast mates who sort of ignore her anyway. Always to her elders respectful and professional but word about set was that Curtis had been known to be somewhat inappropriate and constantly attempting pushing the envelope in all aspects of his work. Racy and risqué plotlines? Check. Pushing that scantily clad envelope in the costuming department? Double check. She snickers at the thought of being a sexy cancer patient but she would do anything to trade the hospital gown for a pair of glitzy high heels.

In front of superiors and supervisors on set he acted like some sort of gracious angel who was thankful for them taking out a limb on him. He had this side of him where he wasn't so different from her at all.

He was chubby, had facial hair, a kinky curly mess of hair and he always wore this ugly baseball hat of some obscure band logo on it. She always saw the irony of it. Probably all his conquests in the romantic realm were imaginary, probably on the rich-tor scale about a five in a scale of twenty at best. Probably doesn't have a girlfriend and might just live in his mother's basement playing _World of Warcraft_ and again he was a fan of the show. He liked her character before and he liked her _predecessor_ who he grew up with, Garcia's oldest sister that's what propelled him to want to be a writer on the show. His dream came true and her dream was rapidly slipping away. Since his promotion and big break, he has some sort of bearing over who stays and who goes who gets a good plot and who winds up with the c and d forgotten plots. Rivas has been in the show since she was basically a fetus. The long running drama has been her entire life literally and figuratively.

Filming wrapped for the day she was dressed in her street-clothes again and she saw him walk by her dressing room. He did that sometimes, sometimes she wonders if he wants to catch her half-nude or something which she wouldn't put past 's familiar with the rumor mill even though her co-stars sort of ostracize her it's not like she's completely deaf to the grape fine of happenings, she's heard stories of him walking in by "accident" but she was smart to shut the door. She usually would see him walk by her dressing room though once her door opened back up and she'd ask if he could go to the catering van and fetch her a cup of coffee.

Since he was one of the few people she had seen as an ally she went to him in confidence exclaiming, "Curtis, wait!"

He whipped his head around in what seemed to be instantaneously he compassionately offered her a friendly smile, "_Zoe_, what do you need?"

"Soy late?" She offered before shaking her head, nervously she bit her bottom lip before replying, "I'm kidding. I just want to know if you guys made a decision yet about _me_." She could hear that desperate tone fleeting from her inner voice but God knows what it sounds like to him.

It's not the tone that sounds like the first sign of an illness, or maybe it is. Illness, weakness to Zoe is illness.

Perhaps the lack of control of her life whatever have you, she felt pathetic all over, inside and out coursing through her veins. The set was near empty around this time, there were small amounts of people in the hall so the conversation was quiet.

"Good, because I don't have the cash now anyway." He offered this nervous chuckle he liked to do, it's like he caught himself flirting with danger, "It's fine though, I'm almost sure of it but say, could you drop by place around _ten_? You know if it's not too late. I think I have some ideas for the enrichment of your character."

The doe-eyed brunette hesitated, but then relented. At this rate she was desperate she sounded less than enthused, "_Curtis_, what do you need?"

He thought for a moment and then smirked, cool and calculated, "I just have some ideas that I'd like to run by you, between you and me."

He gave her the creeps in that moment both there and in retrospect. Zoe nodded in agreement, agreeing to meet with him, "Sure."

Sure she had a curfew but it was pretty damn easy to sneak out of the house she and her mother shared.

It wasn't the first time they met at his place; alone that is. Often times, Curtis threw small gatherings with the cast after a big block of episodes or season finales. It was normal on-set behavior. No one big like the execs ever questioned it. To be blunt there weren't rules to really break in television.

It's a strange land where all the actors and actresses are expected to have tension and drama on-screen but just keep your _personal_ junk at the door but since Zoe had neither it made it hard for her to do so. She struggled with that judgment of separation and visiting people off set to talk about onset stuff was almost customary like getting a wound looked at in a hospital. It was just the way _Westdrive_ and it's writing and acting team rolled. It was merely the first time she had met Curtis alone. He had these unconventional ways of working with the cast, developing plots and aiding in the direction of the character, quasi-stepping on the directors toes a bit but also informing of the intention of the script he wrote. He wanted to keep the vision alive. His vision.

This just seemed different to her though. When Curtis stepped away he didn't look back. She took one last look at herself in the mirror, adjusted her hair before taking her tote bag to go on home. Even drug abuse wasn't that big of a deal, alcoholic antics were brushed under the rug but an unruly group of cast members that just couldn't get along was apparently somehow a bigger problem and of course frowned upon.

At this rate _she _was persona non grata. She supposed it wasn't too late at least Curtis was seemingly on her side.


	2. How I lost my V-Card (and other stories)

**Two**

How I lost my V-card (and other stories)

Zoe stole her mothers Manolo's from her closet months ago for some network related gala and never really gave them back. She thought she'd look big and tough when it came to her job, she always felt her mother was intimidating and the shoes had a lot to do with that. It did help with her height she supposed both of them being pretty petite. The shoes were ill-fitting, as her mother's shoe size was about a half-size bigger. Persistently Zoe jammed her foot in because it went with her outfit of the evening a little white shift dress she had worn to some event before.

Her nerves are managing to get the worst of her as she made her way to her destination but her stomach was feeling tingly everywhere. It took almost everything inside of her to stop walking and turn around back home and resign that maybe just maybe she can deal with being written out of the that thought came to mind she felt as if she wanted to hurl, something gave her this inkling that this might be her worst idea yet. Zoe has been notorious for bad ideas but this might just top it. Thankful that no one sees her sneak out, she tries to walk gingerly with the uncomfortable pair of heels. The shoes turned out to be nothing but a big regret as she found herself walking down the sidewalk because she was short cab fare and desperately didn't want to wake her mother as she managed by the skin of her teeth to sneak out of the house to meet at Curtis' place. Getting out of her house at nine thirty or so was no easy feat by any stretch of the imagination, but with her workaholic mother going bed on the early side sure made it easier than she expected. Sometimes over protective parents can make the best liars out of their children. Her mother and her had a weird strained relationship but on an emotional level she was hardly a mother just merely the egg that created Zoe. There wasn't much nurture. They both did their own thing and brought home the bacon, as mentioned before home was a cold place and there wasn't a lot of warmth.

Curtis' street wasn't close by nor was it far away. It was walking distance just not comfortable feat in six-inch stiletto heels. Her heels and arch started to ache but finally she arrived.

The house itself was cute, quaint but no Riva's residence. Overall it was meager little white rancher-style home a little run down surrounded by a gate, she slowly maneuvered the thin black metal gate that looked as if it had been repainted over several times and found herself in front of the house she had been for cast parties and other small meet ups countless times before. She muttered to herself, "Bachelor pad."

Up the steps she went to ring the doorbell. The doorbell buzzed, it was definitely an older house and that doorbell had this painful sound - a cross between a duck and a sink garbage disposal. Seconds later, Curtis emerged and answered the door wearing a clean black dress shirt. Truthfully, she'll admit it was the best he ever looked in front of her. He motioned for her to come inside, "Come in, come in. Welcome to my humble abode." _Humble, no really he wasn't kidding_, she thought to herself.

He shut the door quickly behind her as soon as she made her way inside, almost twisting an ankle as she walked in her heel managed to snag onto the thick carpeting in front of the door. Once she recovered from that misstep unnoticed, she uncomfortably stood stock still surveying everything only with her eyes. There were two empty glasses next to a bottle of rather expensive looking wine upon the small coffee table in the room. Alongside the wine hors d'oeuvres sat beside it like cheese and such. _Typical, he's preparing to fatten me up_. Suddenly it was clear to her what was really going on.

She swallowed hard, before looking up at him, "Should we sit down?"

Curtis shrugged and complied sitting beside her at the other matching armchair, wordlessly and she followed suit when she saw him finally take his seat. They sat there in silence for a few awkward moments, she tried to grasp straws for conversation of the so's, um's and what's up but nothing really came out of either of them and they both did nothing about the obvious. It was delicate, and highly embarrassingly awkward during that time he had managed to become zoned in the wine, and she was feeling curious following his eye, "I'm feeling rather parched."

She had never actually had a _real_ drink before. She figured, _How hard could it be? _She enjoyed getting _other_ people drunk and watching them make idiots of themselves at their own expense by spiking them but never fell victim to those old dirty tricks. Stupidly she thought that maybe it could get her over her nerves. In some sort of rush, he leapt from the chair to the wine, with the opener he opened it up before looking to her for approval he manage to grace her presence to that annoying nervous-laugh, "You aren't going to narc on me for giving you this right?"

Zoe shook her head wildly," No, absolutely not." Truthfully, she was really in no place to use anything against anyone, it was the alternative that she was the one in the proverbial hot seat and everything was hanging in the balance on the line. He poured each of them a glass. He gingerly gave her the glass careful to not spill it on her white dress and then he sat at his chair and held his up. Zoe began thinking about something unrelated as she restlessly continued to survey her surroundings as he prepared the drinks.

"I propose a toast." Curtis exclaimed looking to Zoe to choose some quirky saying, before he realized she probably hadn't had a drink of her own before, "or we can forget the alc -"

"To _what_?" She asked in response, she had always seen these classic films where people had clinked glasses yelling cheers surrounded by friends, already sauced on their fifth or so cocktail but the circumstances were much different, she snickered hopelessly inching her glass toward his, "to my _job_." This wasn't anything celebratory. This was business.

"To Zoe's job." He clicked her glass to hers and she took her first sip of the bittersweet red wine. It wasn't as bad as she thought, sour grapes. Reminiscent of Welch's from when she was a kid but stronger and more bitter. She was only hoping that it would make her forget where she was, who was with and why.

A simple glass turned into two, then three and then more. Before long, they both lost count as the hours went on and time was sort of forgotten. She was drinking them quicker than he. The taste didn't bother her much anymore. She can tell he was able to drink more than she but things started to make less and less sense as time wore on.

Accompanied by the drinks he went into great detail and talked about his grand plans for the future of Gatsby Garcia becoming a grand new star in the _Westdrive_-canon. Where her character would have Hollywood-size aspirations and such. Before long Curtis started feeling frisky, touchy and feeling a bit affectionate while Zoe realized she is simply while drunk becomes somewhat of a close talker and becomes a bit touchy herself. It was innocent though. Together they moved their little party of sorts to the leather couch where they were sort of drunkenly hanging all over one another mostly her being unable to hold her head up and resisting an urge to lie down, "So, basically your plan is to have her _recover_ miraculously?" Zoe laid her head on his shoulder, feeling a bit tipsy, "Thank you, so much."

"From what, dear?" He inquired pretentious, "Oh how could I forget, the _cancer_." Curtis nods rolling his eyes, on the drunk meter she was much more than he, where Zoe was at about an eight he was at a five the thing was he had likely _started_ before she came in or this was some sort of diabolical plan to make her feel more comfortable, "You _hate_ it, right?"

Zoe thought for a moment coupling with trying to find her balance and search for the words that the wine had simply erased, "No, not that all. I must say I'm impressed considering I'm not _dead_." she raised an eyebrow and turned around chuckling, "So . . it's _good_. I am relieved. Plus I like the Hollywood stuff and all."

She started feeling a bit more comfortable in his house, in his company. "I'm glad. Good is a compliment coming from you. You've always raised the bar in all aspects of your career." He didn't seem like he _cared_ it just seemed just so, _good_ enough.

She wasn't sure she understood why he would say that a compliment meant more if it came from her but she dismissed any and all questions she had. Politely, he took the wine glass from her and places it on the table, serving as some sort of reminder of that small platter of different goodies that were left untouched. Curtis playfully smiles at her as he takes a piece of cheese from the platter and holds it up to Zoe but she politely declines shaking her head wildly, "W-what time is it?"

"Cinderella, it's t-twelve-thirty." He stuttered, inching closer to her but was suddenly taken back when she reacted to the time.

"My mom will _kill_ me!" Her eyes widened stammering shaking her head trying to get her head together before adding, "I have to go soon, sober up and - I-," she attempted to sit up but by her shoulders he gently pushed her right back down so that they were both sitting together on the couch once again. She was sort of stunned and silenced.

In the back of her mind, she knew her mother would ask her questions, _Why do you smell like alcohol sweetheart?_ She wistfully turned to the table where her wrist-let lay, all she had to do was stand up and grab it but she couldn't really find her bearing. _Those damn shoes_, she internally scolded herself for insisting on them. She just wanted to wear them, to appear older, mature just like her mother. Not to seduce him. What had she gotten herself into? She was in over her head. She exhaled, just looking at him, frozen there waiting for the next surprise. What happened next was even more shocking.

"Wait," was all he whispered as he placed his finger softly to her lips followed by him romantically planting her with a chaste kiss right before she was about to open her mouth and say something more. She was finally unfortunately reminded of how he managed to smell like an Italian Hoagie and Frito's all at once and what wine had _really_ smelt like. She was paralyzed, or so she felt that way. Inhibitions were open as a doorway. His warm sweaty body was close to hers now.

She really hadn't any clue what she was doing and followed the leader, she made sure her eyes were closed and just prayed it'd all be over soon. She had her share of onscreen romances but it was all for show this however was different. It was still for show but this was a secret. This was a real person it wasn't Garcia it was Rivas. Her senses were all wacky dulled from the copious amounts of wine and the desperation and fear must have set him off or he could just smell it on her like a dog that could smell the fear on skin. Reality didn't feel even real anymore, what a giant let down. Although disappointed, she just threw herself into it, she cupped his prickly face with her hands following those direct cues that she had memorized, from her little experience with guys. Curtis kissed like a sloppy, dirty old dog slobbering everywhere like a hot mess.

She wasn't going home tonight. She resigned to that. She kissed him, her eyes still closed but her mind still erratic everywhere.

As he carefully laid her down on the couch, he lifted her dress to begin to remove the various articles of clothing including of course her panties. Nondescript compliments flowed as he took a breath to tell her about things she really knew not much about.

The only upside to this was he finally removed her shoes to which she thought to thank him because her feet were in a lot of pain from wearing them. Zoe helped Curtis with something, she helped him by removing her bra due to the tricky old clasp in the back. If there was one thing she was proud of it was her bra, she got it at the mall, some plush padded push up and all that jazz.

If she were sober she would've said something, anything but at this time again she just internally reminded herself that it would all be over soon. She lay there, as Curtis continued kissing her, caressing her, making her feel anything but reassured about anything. He held her down, she didn't protest even though it hurt she braved through. She didn't pretend to enjoy it but she didn't act like she liked it either. She didn't make a peep. She just let it all happen, on stand-by, lying there until it was all over, most of it was a blur, which was precisely how she expected it to be. Curtis was never the ideal.

Fortunately for her, it was over as fast as it started, if she cared about it one would guess it took everything in her to suppress any tears and put out some sort of universal signs of bravery. She sat up after he did searching and fumbling around silently looking for her clothes, he didn't help her and she didn't want him to. However she thought it would've been nice. It was like he flipped a switch or maybe he was just giving her space. Losing her virginity on television was different from the real thing. It took everything in her not to want to cry, she felt disgusted. The whole losing of the virginity kind thing managed to sober her up fast.

Wordlessly, Curtis lit up a cigarette with the Zippo lighter he retrieved from the pocket of his pants, in only his boxers. She may as well not of even been there the way he just did it not even asking if that was alright to do. He looked less than enthused. Had she done something she wasn't supposed to do? She suddenly felt about as needed as a used towel at the country club her mother and her frequent. Things would've been worse, at least he hadn't been wearing his ungodly ironic band merchandise hat, one good thing she supposed. Dressed presentable enough although still disheveled she looked his way, up at him as he stood towering over her, "You got another one of those?"

"You smoke?" Curtis questioned Zoe with a snicker obviously stunned; finally he resigned himself to sit next to her on the couch. Rummaging about to find his pack in his pants pocket that sat in his lap too lazy to put them back on, he had a pair of white striped boxers on.

She rolled her expressive eyes not facing him and shrugged signifying a yes in her own secret language, "Why do you?"

"Ah it just feels good. After, you know." She felt a mild air of disgust in the area as he exhaled as he spoke; she had always heard multiple things about smoking cigarettes. For starters, her mother had always said it ages people and if anyone appreciated their good looks they wouldn't smoke, then in her experience it was always something she saw adults doing and lastly the smell had always given her some sort of headache but at this rate that night wasn't going to get better. Curtis pulled out another cigarette out of the package and put it up to her lips and lit it for her, he joked, "pretty women never light their own cigarettes."

_Great_ she thought humbly, _he smokes in the house. _As she held the flaming cigarette to her lips, she tried hard to make it look like she knew what she was doing, she discreetly watched him for cues. He fully inhales his cigarette; she tried that as she held her cigarette between her pointer and her middle finger. She had always seen others hold theirs between their pointer and middle fingers but he held it between this thumb and his pointer almost like a joint. She ended up coughing he snickered at her, _the gull of him_ she thought to herself. She tried another take of the similar motion she sucked in the cigarette and then exhaled as a cloud of smoke whirled about her head. It made her feel less horrible about the happenings of the evening. She felt dirty. She felt wrong. She lifted the cigarette to her lips and sucked to inhale once again, this time the taste didn't bother her so bad anymore, she looked at him, "I should get going soon."

"You should ash." He said gesturing to her cigarette, as he put the other ashtray in front of her. She mindlessly put it in the tray not wanting any more of it. She shook her head. Her mild hangover headache had seemed to grow from the few puffs she managed it just disgusted her. He tisked but didn't actually say anything about the wasted cigarette; he was feeling her uneasiness about the course of the entire evening. He offered her a compassionate smile, biting his bottom lip he motioned to her gestured the couch, "it gets better."

She ignored him and continued her first thought about going home. _The audacity of him_, she thought. Even _he_ thinks she's lousier than she feels herself. She was just flabbergasted that he had something crude to say. She thought she was doing him a favor but then again she also thought this would improve her chances.

He continued on talking not even seeing her visible struggles as she stared off into the distance, "Zoe, mi casa is su casa. You can take a shower if you'd like, couch is yours for the tonight or I could give you cab fare . . ."

As he started to talk she just looked at him like he had five heads but he didn't get the message, scowling. Aimlessly he just reached into his pocket to retrieve his wallet and gave her a bunch of crumpled up bills as he yawned. _Of course, you're tired_, she thought to herself. The feeling of uncertainty tinged her as the money was in the palm of her hand; it was a lot of money, more than she would have needed for a taxi, "I can't take all of this."

"Don't worry about it." Curtis muttered as he put his finished cigarette butt in the ashtray as Zoe stood up and grabbed her clutch putting the money inside safely, "Are you gonna be alright? I can go to bed?"

She thought for a second and then looked at him flashing him her very best smile, playing some sort of role, "I'm fine, see you tomorrow at work."

"Yeah, see you around, kid." Curtis answered seeing her off as he disappeared into what she guessed would be the master bedroom. She sighed, downing back the last sip of her glass of wine lightly placing it back on the coaster.

She adjusted her clothes in the mirror by the door as she shut the door behind her. In her hands were the shoes, she pulled out her phone to call for a taxi. What felt like an eternity the taxi arrived and she was on her way home. As the cab drove backed out of the small residential development where Curtis lived she asked the driver to drop her off the Westdrive set, she knew she had clothes there, a guaranteed and uninterrupted hot shower and a bed with her name on it. Home sweet home.


	3. Piss Poor Effort

**Three**

Piss Poor Effort

Six am, the cell phone alarm went off in Zig Novak's messy bedroom. To his mother, messy is merely a gross understatement. Sometimes she'd tell him it's like they bombed Beirut his bedroom. He mumbled aggravated and impatiently not wanting to get up and out of bed, his bed if you could call it that littered with his dirty clothes mostly jeans and wrapping papers from his rolled and unrolled joints from the night before. Sometimes he'd smoke a bit before bed to help him sleep or because he's bored.

He snickers about how somehow by the grace of God his mother doesn't recognize the stale, skunk odor of marijuana that permeated the bedroom on the regular. He rarely emerged from there when he's home.

Mope.

People come to him, he's a clear leader in his friend group if you could even call it that. _Friends, _he snickers disenchanted with what friendship really is. Random girls at school who hang out in the ravine to drink or to find a quick boyfriend actually think he's attractive but he doesn't pay them much mind. He's been propositioned for sex a few times by resident party girl, Talia but she's also known to get around and be unreliable. He sees that revolving door at the ravine in and out of the van, he always declines her but when she gets high enough she'll be down to do just about anything. Zig has saved her ass a few times from some dangerous guys.

As for his room most times he'd do his drug-related transactions in his bedroom, his office of sorts. He'd go party in the ravine almost nightly, sneak out around 9 o'clock likely the only improvement since school started his social life sort of sky rocketed in a matter of days. He's indifferent to the thing.

He knew his mom would hear the alarm so he turned it off almost to avoid another lecture and give her some time to sleep. Let's just say he didn't look forward to school but school was better than home just so that he could avoid the always-evident cash flow issue. He helps out the best he can, by signing up all his friends for lives as future felons by selling drugs. _It's not so bad_, he often thinks, _you only live once_. He keeps a low profile to avoid questions and trouble and it's worked out for him and his crew. School simply was not his thing as it was in the past. At least like before _even_ if he wasn't any good at least he would try. He brings home low and poor grades. His progress report for the first term thus far has comments that say things like:

"Try _harder_!"

Sometimes they question, "Are you _even_ trying?"

"_Spell check_, use it next time."

And his personal favorite, "_Failure_ to follow school standards. "

But does he care? Absolutely not, not _even_ one iota. Sometimes he doesn't stick around to last bell. He cuts out to smoke in the ravine with a few cronies whose name and faces don't really matter. To him it's a comedy.

"A means to an end", he says to himself as he sits up. He knew he'd see his should-be ex girlfriend; Maya at school walking arm in arm with that prick, Miles and it just makes him sick.

It was supposed to be _their_ year. They grew apart in between that time. He hoped with money, good looks and a toned body would send her into a tailspin but then she came walking into a different beat, a different drum with a different guy.

Zig and Maya, they'd do prom, they'd do it all make up for all the lost time, their summer apart and he's _never_ felt like more of an idiot or a fool in his life. Zig can easily chalk it up to she doesn't want to be seen with anyone who didn't come to Paris. He'll never be good enough, not for her. To him at this rate; Maya is just your run of the mill Daisy Buchanan, just one big phony. Nothing, not _even_ your heart on a silver platter would make any sort of difference or significant change now. He says he's over it, he just buries it. Expectations rarely match reality.

So they, Miles and Maya can have their stupid Paris dream vacation for all he cared. _Screw them; screw their whole lot_ he thought when he saw that sight, greeted after three months or so apart. All summer though, he had plenty of opportunities to seek girls but he was holding out for Maya, to him, she was special even though the guys all agree aint no such thing. Damon was leader of the _Screw Maya Matlin Fanclub_ and _always_ talk about how Zig ever since he got wrapped up with her he's gone all soft. The last thing he'd like to think about is Maya Matlin. When Damon manages to bring her up he just gets more infuriated. As for Zig and Maya the sick puppy act was just how they got in this situation, he supposed so in result he avoids any and all contact with her. He looks in the mirror and messes with his hair; he contemplates if it's too late to jump in the shower. He just thought she'd come back when she had that collective time to move on. They had always been close.

Nobody to impress anyway, but he showered anyway, but before long the water began to cool. It's not like dating is a problem but moreover a hassle. A young freshman by the name of Frankie has shown interest but that last-name _Hollingsworth_ plain leaves a bad taste in his mouth. She tells him to call her. That he's _cute_. Is she _anything_ like her brother? She seemed nice enough, _sweet_. She's too young though.

Old Zig would have taken her out to dinner, dined and dashed with her but still would've treated her well, would buy her gifts and be up to taking her to dances and parties. New Zig would ask her to go with him or even join him with a fat blunt but then she'd likely get unruly because she probably never smoked before. Plus, then he'd have to worry about some would-be protective older brother situation. Avoiding Miles is more important. He _hates_ that chump. It takes a lot on the day-to-day not to bash in his skull.

He nearly screamed as his thoughts suddenly interrupted by the warm water starting to run cool. "Not _fucking_ cool." Zig grumbled angrily as he turned off the water, stepped out of the shower and attempted to dry off and warm up. He threw on a fresh white tee-shirt once back in his bedroom and picked up a fairly decently used pair of jeans before draping his prized possession, his leather jacket over him. He adjusted it, styled his hair in his mirror before slipping on his black faux Chuck Taylor's, "the water heater is on the fritz. Fabulous."

When Zig walked outside he noticed how sunny and beautiful it looked, he made his way to school and walked up the stairs. He saw that old slew of people he couldn't wait to get away from. Maya and Miles right on cue with their lovey-dovey expressions being all cute, he tried not to watch her but he did it anyway, without much notice or fanfare. Making out against her locker, which wasn't exactly far from his, _Novak_ and _Matlin_ not very far apart in the alphabet. He laughed wondering if he'd ever let her come up for air, he's like a succubus. He shook his head at the thought while opening the combination at his own locker his back to the annoyingly happy couple.

Then, a familiar face clouded his mind standing by his locker, enter Zoe Rivas. She beamed incessantly; she always managed to have such a sunny disposition despite the obvious state of affairs his object of affection is with hers. At least she _seems_ over it. Now he just seems like a fool because he's the only one holding out. She had a pair of bug-eyed sunglasses, the very ones that manage to cover your entire face up. Why does she even bother with that? He often wonders why girls wear those glasses, they're not Britney or Lindsay.

"You got the hookup, Novak?" Zoe asked as she does every day.

Zoe orders two-to-three 30-milligram Percocet that she says is for "a _friend_", but as long as she waves the cash in front of him he'll give her the goods. He rarely asks questions and he really hasn't the place to, but it's just a bit harder for him to find a guy for that drug. Weed is easy; opiates weren't that easy, he has to deal with sketchy people commonly found in the ravine like Owen Milligan who should have mentally graduated by now. The most Zig would experiment with was some dancing with Mary Jane but definitely he'd leave the opiates at the door. Owen does it all and sells it all but he'll supply him with the opiates if Owen has any that is.

In fact if Zig were selling the hard stuff to minors, he would go elsewhere for the service. Owen is always hooking up with high school girls, all legal of course mostly those few kids that wind up repeating a grade but he likes them young and Zig can only hope that he doesn't wind up like him post high school. Somehow he knew if Tris liked girls he'd follow in his accomplished brother's footsteps. He wouldn't _be_ Tris, the one he knew. It's not likely he even knows him anymore really, he seems popular, well liked like his hero Lady Gaga. Sometimes that kid just liked to talk _too_ much. When he and Tori were dating it was rare they spent any time exclusively alone. _Westdrive_ on Wednesday of course Tristan would be there but Zig never complained even though internally he was screaming. That was then, and this is now. Since he's sort of associated with Maya he avoids him too.

"It's _Zig_." He mumbled annoyed and preoccupied grabbing his books out of the locker. If there was one thing that annoyed him, it was when someone would give him some obnoxious cute nickname. He's not a pet, he's not anyone's pet. It's _just_ Zig. Why complicate and strain the already strained relationship between the dealer and the starlet?

"Fine, who took a shit in _your_ coffee today?" She teased impatiently her arms crossed covering her chest, which was a shame for Zig because out of the corner of his eye it was the first thing he noticed that wasn't pure shit on this day. Yeah, she had a nice body he'll admit. Still not his type.

He ignored the name dig and just looked at her as he slammed his locker, "It's just been a miserable few days. I have it though but it'll cost you."

Zoe nodded taking out her wallet, "I know _that_, dude."

Zig pushed the wallet back her way, and whispered softly and brash, "What are you doing? I don't work during school hours." In result she backed away awkwardly and just said nothing avoiding eye contact. The sunglasses she had covering her eyes were almost a joke, did she have any clue how to conduct a drug deal? For weeks she's been coming to him about drugs. Zoe has a serious drug habit, he doesn't know where the money even comes from but again, it's the unwritten law don't ask and don't tell. Although it's unprofessional, he finds the girl breathtakingly beautiful, off the record. He used to be sort of forced to watch Westdrive so he's seen her cohorts and her entire story arc. He knew she was the mean girl. He also knew that something happened to the effect of being fired or something results in her starting up here. He dared not ask.

Zoe Rivas at Degrassi was the girl who all the guys his age found really cute on television and to have her as a member of his school, buying drugs off him was so off-putting yet somehow some sort of turn on. He wouldn't touch that though, she comes with a load of trouble you can see it all over he face. She's just one giant flirt though, nice body, expressive eyes and sassy attitude but he's almost positive she fits in just fine with the rest of the girls in school but he wouldn't say _no_ if she asked him out. Hell, he's not surprised if she's not already got a guy. Another thing to mention, completely available but never emotionally. No she doesn't have a boyfriend to speak of, she's fun. She trusts no one. He could quite observant, more than what people give him credit for.

Zig doesn't toil with the rumor mill, he tries to run through school undetected and on some sort of low profile agenda and when someone like Zoe comes in on the operation all he thinks is abort mission. He's not deaf, he hears things about her latest exploits in Degrassi. He knows she struggles with people, her ex and surprise, it's Miles. Fortunately he's glad to know _even_ a big star like Zoe could hack it in real high school like she does in Westdrive. She's been humbled by that. He doesn't know the details but for all intents and purposes things didn't work out with her status on the show. Following the ill-fated casting couch run in with Curtis that was supposed to save her job, pretty much blew up in her face. She was _still_ fired from the show and her character was killed off which eliminates any possibility for a change of heart.

Sleeping with Curtis didn't help anything, all it left her with was her hopes left up sky-high and later deflated like an old balloon. Curtis, if he knows what was good for him, would keep is dirty mouth shut about the entire thing. He'd be in a boatload of trouble if word ever got out. She hopes he had been smart enough to shut up. She could only hope some ditz he tries it on would eventually blab, but she'd probably get the ax as well for not complying. Zoe didn't remember if Curtis had used a condom so the first thing she managed to buy for herself was a _Plan B_, just in case. Pregnant and jobless was never a good look. Outwardly, Zoe feels fine but internally is what drugs are for, she believes anyhow.

Zig noticed he had a break in time that worked out in Zoe's favor as he discreetly took the Ziploc out of his bag and made a switch off with her, the cash for the pills. She beamed at him before leaving him back at the locker. He looked behind him to make sure no one saw the trade-off before making his way to home room himself books in hand. The bell rings, he's late again.


	4. The Ravine

**Four**

The Ravine

The guys managed to talk Zig into attending some sort of party at the ravine that night. They were frequent, Friday Night, Saturday and Sunday spilling the whole weekend with brewing, boozing and copious amounts of drugs. He almost decided not to go but everyone who was anyone was in attendance, everyone that is including Maya and Miles. At the rate he was going at these impromptu parties he'd be too wasted to notice them if he played his cards right.

His buzz was sort of interrupted when he saw his drinking buddies starting to bother with a somewhat intoxicated looking Zoe who was sitting on the picnic table bench slumped over, clearly in distress. "Leave me alone, no you can't have my number. _Please_." She rolled her eyes as they refused to relent that is until Zig walked by.

He stood beside her before silently looking at the other two cronies who he had recognized from other parties, "Leave her alone."

The two guys scattered, intimidated by the much taller pack leader, and then there were two. She said nothing, just sipped her nondescript drink with a straw and fixated on the couple he resented. She sighed wistfully, "I hate that _bitch_."

Zig shrugged his shoulders and finally decided he would sit down beside her, chugging his beer, but then he managed to let a belch escape, "I hate that dick."

She turned around and smiled at him, "Thanks for that."

"No problem." Zig mumbled through his gritted teeth, turning his attention to her drink, "what's your poison?"

"Oh this?" She questioned as she lifted her red solo cup, "I brought it from home it's called Skinny Girl vodka, Pomegranate flavor with some Sprite, some girl let me have Sprite. It's tasty. Enough to get a buzz you know."

"You strike me as a wine kind of girl. _Sophisticated_."

Her smile faded as she bashfully looked down at her drink avoiding his eyes, putting her cup down on the table beside her. Yet another unintentional reminder from the night she wanted to forget. Fortunately drugs and alcohol managed to make her forget even though that novelty wears off around three in the morning clutching the toilet as she pukes her guts up. She snarled at that thought while shaking her head feverishly, "I don't _do_ wine, especially red wine. Too bitter." Zig in her opinion was cool but he made her feel weary all over, but not like Curtis. She tirelessly tried to keep her feelings from the surface. He was by far the most interesting person in town, after Miles. See how that worked out. Somehow she found in him some way to trust him. He was just cool. She couldn't explain it.

"Bad hangover? I've had my share of those."

"You could say that. You have _no_ idea." She rejoined her drink and took a sip looking back at him, "you want some?"

Zig contemplated the offer and followed by a positive nod, "Sure."

Zoe passed Zig the drink he took a bitter swig before making a face that she managed to laugh at, "and here I thought this party would be seriously lame."

"It's too sweet for my taste. Oh hell yeah, the ravine is full of surprises."

"You're telling me. In _Westdrive_ – there was this place called_ The Broomcloset_ in the school, and that's where all the kids would hook up." Zoe had always managed to slip out little things about her old job it was a huge part of her life. She just hoped it wasn't annoying or like she was tooting her own horn. She condemned Curtis for things like that and even lesser things.

"I remember . . ." Zig trailed off as he returned the drink back to the rightful owner. She took another sip of her drink, he looked at her, and asked, "So do you smoke?"

"Cigarettes, yeah, well _one_ time but –"

Zig cut her off chuckling, "How about weed?"

"Never tried _that_ before, is it fun?" Zoe confessed and questioned, wondering if it this was even a good idea. Finally she was realizing the semblance of what a real friend Zig could actually be. They already had similar outlooks on the evening, people among other things.

"Come on, I'll show you." Zig impulsively took her by the hand and led her to this old gratified up van and opened the door. There were some illegible sayings but one that stuck out was, "When the van is a-rocking don't come a-knockin'." She snickered at that. She assumed the van wasn't knocking when Zig without knocking pulled open the rusty door and were stunned to find a sight to see.

They found two partygoers making out intensely, the female's shirt was off as was the male. The couple giggled pulling away looking at the two people who walked in on them. The van reeked like a skunk. It was Talia and one of his buds, _typical_. They both sat up alarmed and visibly intoxicated on more than just alcohol, "This salvia shit is wild or what? Gatsby Garcia is that you?"

Zoe couldn't help but notice how tiny and glassy her eyes looked. Tinier than usual but she was _really_ baked, "Zoe."

"Pleasure to be in the presence of a big star." The blonde beamed as everyone moved around to get comfortable in a circle. Zig offered her nothing but a smug expression and an attentive cough to the obvious as she grabbed and put on her tank top that was initially tossed carelessly on the shag carpeting not far from the door. She motioned for them both to come inside, "Shut the door you'll let it all out."

Zig shut the door behind them. The van was lit by many well-placed candles, which in retrospect really could promote a sort of fire risk and a rather large hanging lantern. The electrical unit in the van had died a long time ago and truthfully people learned to adapt without it.

All the while, Zoe fidgeted around uncomfortably clearly grossed out by the status of the dirty van. She found a haystack and sat upon it but even that was itchy and uncomfortable. She gave up and sat on the rough seemingly dirty carpet throwing the hay out in the back seat somewhere, "Zoe we don't have _cooties_ or nothing. Scoot closer."

"Could you roll us a little something?" Zig asked Talia politely, "I'd do it myself but you've always been better at that shit than I am."

A smile played on her lips as she replied, "What did you think I was going to do Zig? Put on a show for you guys?" Zig was silenced. Talia was the spitfire when she wanted to be.

She did have a point; she was already taking the rolling paper and baggies out of her jeans pocket to start making the joint. Zoe sipped her drink once again making that annoying sucking sound while biting her straw. Zig looked at her once or twice but mostly was watching how hard at work the petite girl was at rolling it perfectly. Like Zig, the blonde stoner managed really well at these sorts of extracurricular after school activities. Everyone went to her when they needed to roll something right. She was good for that. The wavy-haired blonde looked up at Zoe, "I take it you're a first timer?"

Zoe nodded uncomfortably as she swallowed hard hoping no one heard the latter, "Just don't be so nervous, babe. You're scaring me. It's a _calming_ agent act like it."

The guy was silent and leaning against the back of the van, his eyes were closed and he looked as if he were asleep. Talia stopped what she was dong and kind of playfully tapped him causing him to be alert once again, "Excuse me, are you asleep _already_?"

Zoe looked to Zig wondering if he had anything to say, within a few minutes she was finished. It was lost on the brunette what exactly was so important about rolling it that way it looked like something anybody could do. Finally, Talia excitedly bit her lip and passed the joint to Zoe, "Princess, you first."

Zoe examined it, put it to her lips holding it like she did a cigarette. The other three in the van roared with laughter causing her to pull it out of her mouth no sooner she put it in, embarrassed, "What?"

"Try holding it between the thumb and the middle finger, Jeez. _Amateur_, it's fine."

Zoe tried again switching the way she held it and Talia came to the rescue with a Bic to light it for her, "Now you're going to inhale, pull it out of your mouth when I stop lighting away from you and hold your breath as much as you can and then exhale, easy peasy." She sort of demonstrated it just with her hands as they tried to give it another go.

Zoe gave her the thumbs up when she understood and managed to follow her directions but despite everything she _still_ coughed her face off. Afterwards, she passed it to Zig exclaiming after her fit of coughing, "Ow!"

Again the other three laughed, the guy in the van smiled patting her on the back, "It gets better. You're a trooper. Now," he put the joint in his mouth and lit it himself, "just relax. If it comes around to you take a hit if you're up to it."

Zoe beamed somewhat proud of herself for stepping out of her comfort zone. She looked at Zig again and he smiled back. Maybe hanging out at the ravine wasn't so bad after all she thought as she enjoyed herself in the back of that crummy old van.


	5. Safe and Sound

**Five**

Safe and Sound

For a while they hung out in the van which surely beat coming face to face with a couple they'd rather not see, besides _Talia_ and whom Zoe could only assume was her boyfriend.

Zig just whispered in her ear as the couple resumed their to canoodling in front of them, "That's Damon's older brother _Tommy_. He graduated last year from Bardell,"

Not really seeing Zoe react, he inquired, "You _know_ Damon right? Tommy went here years ago, but he got expelled. So he still lives around here and all but - I guess it doesn't matter."

Long story short, she didn't but she didn't really care. Zoe felt sort of silly doing something like that and yet she never really caught his name. All in all, the people in the van were chill people and didn't bother her like most people in this school. Granted they were into PDA and heavy partying but it didn't bother her.

In school it's plain to see some either idolize her like the younger set like freshman and yet upperclassmen think she's some sort of brat. Much too good for parties but somehow she knows she'll never prove them wrong. Not to mention the rumor mill isn't taking so kindly for Zoe, the odds are rarely in her favor. She just shook her head no but she didn't really mind the air of mystery surrounding these new people at this new school that weren't characters but real living breathing humans. Akin to the people she had never gotten along with in the cast of the show she devoted the majority of her life to.

Sometimes though the people she met at this party made her laugh, like Talia and the strange guy she met back there. They were so high they didn't know what anything was, stupid high. They wouldn't have known the difference between her or anyone at that rate. By Monday they wouldn't even remember. They wrestled each other playfully like children and quietly Zoe and Zig left them to possibly tap the keg that was reportedly somewhere else. The couple didn't even notice them exit the van. Zig explained how, "So there you have it. The van is sometimes used to privately smoke but is mostly used for hooking up".

Right as Zoe and Zig respectively were starting to have a good time they were united with Maya and Miles.

Suddenly were faced and later crushed with the pain of seeing the very people they had hoped to avoid that night. As they touched the ground from the door of the van they found both Miles and Maya going for the van hand in hand.

The foursome exchanged some awkward looks, Zoe at Maya and Zig at Miles and vice versa, it was almost as if Maya had told or tipped off there was some sort of history between she and Zig long enough ago to have Miles be threatened by it. It was like Miles _already_ had it out for him and that he wasn't a fan. The feeling was mutual, the tension was laid out so thick. Zoe in one breath muttered without thinking, "Vans occupied, _sorry_."

"Why are you _assuming_ I-we're planning- -?" Maya asked infuriated and agitated, seemed to find this run in as awkward as it was for both Zoe and Zig. She uncomfortably looked to Miles to see if she could get a feel for what was happening from his perspective. Zoe had gotten to her.

Maya politely smiled, and awkwardly clutching her beer, "Hey Zig." But he was silent. Once again she looked again to Zoe, "What is _your_ damage?"

"Just _let it go_, Maya." Miles protectively bellowed standing in front of his date staring at Zoe like she was a piece of trash. He never took his judgmental eyes off of her.

He sure as anything tossed _her_ out like _trash_ without so much of a real explanation besides the obvious. If anything what Maya had done to Zoe she felt that it was Maya who deserves a spill of some stain-worthy juice but he was already _angered_ at how Zoe called his bluff about his attraction obvious to Maya back in Paris.

Oblivious or not, Zoe was right and this somehow pleased her but the sting wasn't so easy to mask much long. Miles threw yet another dirty look. Their relationship back in Paris was of a romantic nature. Mostly for Zoe to drop _The Curits Incident_ from her memory and to unsuccessfully and insecurely keep her man. Things _rarely_ work out in her favor. She just put a lot of good faith in Miles and he was either a monster of a bad choice. He's like a snake, very charming. He knew all the buttons.

"You pig." Zoe catty as can be muttered under her breath barely audible while avoiding his eyes, truthfully whilst high managed to be filter-less for her disdain for her recent ex-boyfriend. He cheeks were hot with embarrassment but if they were to walk away now she would've felt overjoyed at that revelation. She didn't look at Zig, she could only imagine how he must be feeling. It was something she wanted to avoid. The last thing she wanted was for her only friend to pass judgement on her.

Seemingly ignorant to the snide remark, both Maya and Miles exchanged remarks wistfully let down that they wouldn't have some private time and quickly disengaged and ignored the pair standing in front of the van walking somewhere else, probably to find another place to hook up. Zig didn't make a sound, he looked to Zoe when he knew they were out of ear shot, "I really do _hate_ that prick."

Zoe wanted to disengage from the awkward run in by changing the subject, "Cool your jets, _aren't_ you having fun?"

Her smile faded, as saw her friend for the evening was visibly agitated, at his sides were his two clenched fists, it increasingly made Zoe apprehensive. Maybe it was the drug-induced paranoia and the mildly heavy impulse drinking but his demeanor offered her little to no comfort. She started to worry but didn't show it outwardly. She stepped back and got a good look at his stoic expression. He was standing still in some rather burdening thought, "_You know_, Zoe?"

She inquired a bit confused by the disconnect, "Yeah?"

"We should just get out of here, maybe get food. It's fucking up my buzz being well, here now." He buried his vulnerability as fast as it showed through and refused to stoop to their level or maybe it just offended him that they were _even_ present.

Zoe could quickly see his nerves were obviously visibly shot. He struggled with that temper, she felt that negative energy course through him. Zoe offered him somewhat of a wry smile, and in some rather hopeless way tried to lighten him up, she giggled and he cracked a wry smile. As she questioned internally unsure about why Zig, someone she just casually got high with now wants to suddenly pick up and go, leave the party now that the worst part was finally over but even herself could feel her stomach rumbling with hunger pangs.

She hesitated and he continued talking, "Well this is my ritual, alright? I get high, I eat." He finally looking much calmer with composure politely asked, "_Chat_ with a friend?"

_A friend_, she thought to herself happily and just walked beside him as he started walking, she still relished the thought that they had gotten to them, or maybe _she_ just got to them. "Did you see their faces though?" Zig still managed to snicker but was likely more fixated on where they could go to eat. Preoccupied about the food.

"Is there a McDonald's around here, Zig? I suddenly feel myself dying for a burger maybe even a coke."

Zig only smiled coyly and they blew off the party without a second more to waste. When they finally reached his older model used car his Uncle Tony who works as a mechanic garage built up for him.

He opened his car door for Zoe and turned around to open his end for himself as she sat inside and slammed their doors shut simultaneously. It was some hunk of junk but he made a lot of adjustments it so his nephew had a sweet set of wheels in time for his seventeenth birthday which was over the summer. Zoe suddenly was surprised to hear a surge of loud music he instantly apologized for resulting in him lowering the volume and offered a quick apology, "Sorry. I forgot it was on so loud." They pulled out of the dirt lot and made their way to McDonald's to get food.

. . .

Inside McDonald's the pair had plenty of detectable choices and spent their money on a rather large order of french fries double cheese burgers and split a rather large soda. They talked about everything and mostly a lot of between bull. Zoe explained that yes the rumors were true, the ones about her being fired and not voluntarily leaving _Westdrive_. He swore he'd never say anything and she believed him. He didn't press her for details and she doesn't want to get into it too much, understandably so. Zoe doubts he'd believe her horrible story and chain of events that led her here. She was fortunate for that. Zig was increasingly easy to talk to. He was the first person she met that she without questions asked could trust. If she swore him to secrecy he likely wouldn't blab a word of it to anyone which is precisely what she needed and always wanted in her life in a friend.

"You know, you're _probably_ one of the coolest people at school."

Zoe shook her head, "No, you're lying you're just high."

"You're also really pretty, I'll admit." She blushed in response. Zig shook his head bobbing his french fry in the ketchup, and putting it in his mouth while Zoe sipped on the soda chewing on the straw, when he swallowed the food he exclaimed, "Hey stop doing that!"

Immediately she put the soda back on the table and looked down at her empty wrapping paper chuckling and pointing out something to some people as silly or whatever but this was an accomplishment for her, "I never manage to finish my food and yet lo and behold . . ." she continued on, "Sometimes I just crave a big messy cheeseburger. Thanks for taking me out."

Zig contemplated on something to say next, "Well, we can do this again I suppose."

Somehow he some of the most tense situations he reminds calm. She paused for a moment, considering this as a compliment, a true compliment. "_That_ would be nice, friend."

Zoe wondered if she could have answered any more awkwardly, crumbling the trash wrapper in one hand and putting it on the tray in efforts to sort of clean up the area. This was new to her, whatever this was. She saw the empty restaurant and glaring employees wondering when they were going to leave the establishment. They had truthfully been there awhile, they'd seen the cleaning crew throughout the visit and it was clear that they wanted to go home but they hadn't said anything to them so they weren't in much of a rush. Zig supposed, "Maybe we should get out of here." Zoe stood up and gestured Zig to stand up too with the tray in hand threw out the garbage and put it on top of the can, and they followed each other out.

Together Zig and Zoe drove around for a while, and he nearly forgot that he had a handle of rum in his car and knew about the empty fields behind the school, they went there and had a few shots and played on the old metal swing set. He pushed her on the swings and they looked at the stars and the moon that illuminated the retention pond on the slope. At this time Zig deeply calculated as he dribbled the basketball and made a basket, from the swing she clapped her hands immitating an arena crowd.

"Not bad, not bad! You should have tried out."

Zig, humble as always just shook his head plainly humble he answered, "No way my grades aren't good enough. Armstrong would just never consider it. And besides, the team already is picked and I'd rather _not_ play with Miles. How could we possibly be on the same team?"

Suddenly she wondered if his hate was sort of misplaced for Miles, she needed a better reasoning than the obvious, "I understand if you have beef with Maya, but why _Miles_?"

"If I could I'd deck him."

"Why?" She asked slowly swinging on the swing dragging her feet in the gravel watching him.

"He just seems like a dick. I have ears, you know." Zig says again gesturing with his free hand that wasn't holding the basketball tucked under his arm to his ears, "Some of his remarks in class are just plain uncalled for."

She just didn't believe him that was all it was clear, out in the open, she was smart to know there was more, "I _know_ that's not it."

Zig then turned the attention to the girl standing in front of him, "Fine, why do _you_ hate Maya?"

"I don't _hate_ her." Zoe stiffened up and lied but Zig had already caught her and called her bluff.

"For an actress you're one bad liar."

Zoe shook her head, "Fine! I do. I do, but it's really stupid and complicated."

"Try me, I'll take a stab in the dark and say that guy _used_ to be your boyfriend, _right_?"

She scowled avoiding his gaze crossing her arms as he walked closer to her dropping the basketball letting it bounce on the black top until it stopped, "And?"

He held onto the metal that held the swing above her head, "Well then, it's not _that_ complicated. You see, Maya _used_ to be special to me. Then she went and forgot about me and dated that prick."

Zoe spat, "Wait a minute, were you guys like _actually_ together?"

"Not exactly." Zig paused letting go for a moment and considered that question seriously. The short answer was no but the long answer was there was a sordid history he then added, "We never had a label, it wasn't like . . _confirmed_ or anything is what I mean. " He paused thoughtfully letting the words ferment in his mind, "There were other people in the equation. I don't kiss and tell but, we both were unfaithful to people. Emotionally I guess and then things got complicated and we both agreed we'd wait for things to settle down in her life and all before. A lot of shit."

Zoe bit her lip not sure what to say, she felt kind of bad but she understood the feeling. She knew he was right, she couldn't argue it anymore. "You got it, all right?"

Zoe stood up and moved to the car which was about a stones throw away and took a seat on the hood of the car which was the other source of light in the dark playground. Zig kept his beams on so they had some light. He sat beside her looking at her, "I just, I hate them. I hate them _both_. I don't even want _him_ you know, she can have my sloppy seconds I don't care." He looked at her as she added one more truth, "I _don't_."

After a short pause he looked straight ahead, "I just don't know what I see or _saw_ in her anymore. She so different now. She actually used to care about me, we used to be _friends_. She used to be so easy to talk to and now she's unreachable."

"People can change." Zoe managed to offer sympathetically, "no one is _ever_ what they seem. Trust no one. That's my shtick."

"Doesn't it get lonely?"

"I try not to notice, it's how I roll."

He stammered shaking his head, "I just, she, _she_ broke my heart."

"Miles broke mine too." Zoe avoiding human contact for the most part just plainly fixated on the sky, lying back onto the hood of Zig's car her hands on her lap, he joined her wordlessly beside her. She closed her eyes for a moment letting out an exhale, "I'm _so_ glad we got out of there."

To Zig it was damn near so easy to talk to Zoe. She had a lot of insight they were like two sides of the same coin. Their exes were both in love with other people and they were some of the loneliest people in the crowded party and even now that was clear while they collected themselves elsewhere. Zoe was silent for a while, he turned his head to face her. He heard her snore and he realized, she had actually fallen asleep. He whispered softly, "Zoe?"

She didn't move. He sighed shaking his head. What was he to do?

Without thinking he picked her up like a lifeless weight she practically weighed no more than a feather. Carefully and mindful he jacked open the car door and since he hadn't a clue where to go, where to take her, where to leave her he took her home to his house.

When he put her in the car, buckled her up in the passenger seat and laid the seat back so she could sleep and still be safe and sound. When he arrived, he quietly and carefully picked her up, on light feet walking up the stairs to his room and laid her down on the bed. He cleared off a spot for her in the mess. Zig then took his most comfortable blanket and draped it over her shoulders. Impulsively in his deed, he realized now with Zoe on the bed it meant he had no place to sleep so he looked to his beanbag chair the one he would once spend countless hours in his youth playing video games on. He made some makeshift bed out of it by punching out an area when he laid down, he struggled to get comfortable as he attempted to sleep. It was large enough for at least some of his body to be raised and he too soon fell asleep himself.


	6. The Most Manic of Mondays

**Six**

The Most Manic of Mondays

Monday morning came and the first person Zig hoped to see was nowhere in sight, Zoe. He couldn't get her off his mind. Was she safe? Where had she gone?

On Saturday morning he woke up to find she had bailed. She had left somewhere before he had woken up and she remained undetected fortunately by his mom. He could only assume that his mother didn't see her because she didn't bring it up all weekend so chances are it didn't happen. With the house empty and his mom already off to an early start at work he went rummaging for a quick bite for breakfast. On his arm he recalled to have felt something, it was a post-it written in pinkish tone lipstick, sloppy and short it read:

_ZIG! T/Y!_

_- Z_

He wasn't upset she left but he did want to see her off. Protective instincts are what he chalked it up to. No way was he going to go and take a page from the Book of Maya and jump into something rashly. He smiled and stuffed it in his pants pocket.

As Zig walked the halls he managed to hear his name being called from behind. It was Imogen, someone he hadn't seen in a while. They used to jam together in a band before Whisperhug went Splitzville after Mo graduated and then with the death of Adam it all fell apart. He hadn't seen anyone that summer. He had worked in his mother's store helping out in the back with all the inventory and by night he started clicking with Damon again and they met some kids to hang out with. Everyone he would call a friend either moved away like Tori or went to Paris. He couldn't afford it. The group doesn't exactly keep in touch anymore but he doesn't blame them. Adam's death didn't deeply affect him, it wasn't like they were close but he feels somewhat guilty when he thinks of Adam because he was someone he wish he knew better. Everyone non stop would mention how good of a person he was, and he would agree but aside from that he was sick of everyone pretending like they were suddenly Adam's supposed best friend. He heard from no one that Adam had tragically died until he walked into school on the very first day and he overheard some no-name people talking.

Imogen was wearing fluorescent pink kitten heels as she dashed down the hall to reach Zig who was either ignoring her or was simply unable to hear her calls. She got a lot of looks all around from the students who rarely understand her unique sense of fashion. Before long in her desperation she fell flat on her face as Zig managed to whip his head followed by his body around.

People who happened to see sort of giggled as they walked by shaking her head at the zany girl. Most people didn't understand Imogen but it'd be an error to say she wasn't well-liked. In fact she was quite popular within the student body unlike Zig. She reads the morning announcements and was always active in school clubs and functions. She likely wasn't always that way but being active in the school garnered her a lot of cool points. He somehow managed to be somewhat of the dark horse hanging out with the baddies and criminals. One thing about Imogen is her heart is around two to three times bigger than a lot of other students. It wouldn't surprise him if she was torn up about Adam because they were actually friends. She cares about a lot of people. He's seen her from time to time in the halls distressed, she truly was really close with Adam. Everyone was. He was liked by plenty of kids, "niners" looked up to him and he had scores of friends. He would always be missed. It will take long time for everyone to pick up the pieces but in the meantime the halls have been morose for various reasons but one big chunk that's missing is Adam. He served as some beacon of hope that things could be much worse. With him gone, people are just facing that things and times are shitty and they're in for it without hopes to keep them afloat.

Zig kindly brought down his arm for her to latch onto lending a hand to pluck her up off the floor. Embarrassed still, she adjusted her glasses that had fallen off her face, "Thanks for listening."

Zig smirked and offered as sincere of an apology he could manage, "I was zoned out. Sorry."

He could tell by the look Imogen gave him that she was a bit irritated. As Imogen regained composure she looked at her old friend, looked up that is, beaming at him, due to his recent growth spurt he towered over her. She asked, "How you been?"

He shrugged, "I really can't complain."

"Look, I know it's been awhile but Becky and I were letting you know that there's going to be a school musical, we got the okay from Principal Simpson." She gave him two thumbs up, "I figure I'd let members of the band know since we all have experience singing."

He looked at her rather smugly but honestly he didn't intend to insult her, "I don't do musicals."

"You don't even know the best part though, Novak."

"It's _Zig_."

"Whatever! It's _Grease_!" Her brown eyes glowed as she kind of made jazz hands to I guess make him brace with impact but he still wasn't interested.

He made a face, "What's _Grease_?"

"Don't tell me you've lived under a rock your whole _entire_ life!" She exclaimed, she was clearly more passionate about stuff like this than he was, no bells were ringing to the topic and she just continued blabbering on while he was completely distracted, "Only the best musical of all time _and_ a classic 1978 film with a cult-following of the _same_ title."

When he heard her piece, he just looked at her skeptically, first conversation with the girl in months and she seems more interested in recruiting people to audition for the stupid and pointless high school musical. _Whatever_, he thought, _I need to get to my locker, this is a waste of time_.

That's how those popular kids run, use their popularity on the masses, at least that what he chalks it up to. He'd been popular once when he dated Tori. It had its perks but it just meant that everyone had to know your business. Imogen could sense he likely hadn't a care in the world or any intention to audition and that she had sort of wasted her time, "I-uh see you around, Zig. I hope you come by, we're having pizza. You like pizza, remember?"

He didn't say anything, he just looked at her straight-faced like a stone. Looking somewhat disappointed, the girl skipped away and went to talk to another kid at a locker close by to where they had stood, she gave him a shy look once again and then became engrossed by the new conversation. This kid looked interested, he was probably a freshman and wouldn't know any better. He was impressionable, nerdy looking a high school musical to him was like winning the lottery. Everyone knows that freshman always get the bit parts or wind up in stage crew. Zig dismissed the notion and continued to strode down the hall to where he found the same old scene as everyday Maya and Miles kissing at the locker. Oddly, it didn't bother him as much as it had since Friday. In fact he hadn't thought much of them at all. For all that built up and pent-up aggression directed toward them was just a waste of time and thinking.

More importantly Zoe Rivas standing beside his locker, her arms crossed looking at him most impatiently, "You're late."

"_And_ you're welcome, by the way."

She raised an eyebrow first not getting what he meant but then she found herself hesitating before she said, "Thanks again for letting me crash."He made a face, and she continued, "I wrote you a note, relax. I had to run. Didn't really feel like getting you know grounded for life by my overbearing stage-mother, for being out all night."

He relented, "Yeah, a note. That is true. Almost forgot." He paused as he opened up the tricky combination, quickly he stuffed some books out of his backpack and threw them inside the messy and full locker.

Zoe coughed while gesturing her wrist-let, "Ahem."_ The drugs, of course_. She took out the money and had it rolled up in her hand and ready to trade. She need not even ask anymore. He knew the drill.

Zig sighed clearly less than enthused to sell to this girl he had come to know in the weeks since school started. On a close level. It wasn't the same anymore. Still he said nothing and finally he found himself folding.

Discreetly Zig traded the pills for the cash to her by taking her hand into his asking something a bit distracting, "You doing anything after school?" She didn't take her eyes off him but she almost felt herself slink back in hesitation. He, to her was someone hulking and intimidating. He stuffed the baggie in her long-sleeved shirt sleeve and closed her hand up for her. She impulsively shook her head as he left her with her hand up for a moment before she snapped her hand back down and she stuffed the baggie mindlessly like clockwork inside her wrist-let. She hoped no one saw that exchange. They were right nobody cared and if they did they just didn't see it happen. Miles and Maya were gone, it was just them in that corridor.

She awkwardly plucked at her clothes and straightened herself out to distract herself, which kind of confused Zig, "No, why?"

"Well, my former band-mate told me to _basically_ audition for the school musical this year."

Her eyebrows raised with excitement and anticipation, Zig surmised that Zoe spoke Imogen's language with her being an actress and all, "Let's do it."

Zig thought of a positive, "Free pizza, even if it's lame."

"What exactly is holding you back? Do you know what they're doing for the musical?"

"Something called _Grease_ it honestly sounds like a gas."

"It sounds like you're a wuss." She playfully pushed him, "I hear things that you used to be in a band, what's with the sudden stage fright?"

He shrugged avoiding her eyes, "I got a rep and do you hear me when I said Friday night my grades _suck_."

"Excuses . . . excuses. You can't beat 'em but you can join 'em. There's tutoring for that!"

"I'm not a joiner." Zoe rolled her eyes at Zig's stupid comment, "I don't like musicals."

Zoe finally understood his dislike for this entire thing, "Shut the front door, you've never seen _Grease_? You would seriously be a shoo in for the male lead, _Danny Zucko_!"

Zig shook his head, Zoe had her hands on her face her mouth open with splendor, all the while he was shielding himself with his hands as she tried effortlessly to get him to show his face, "Tonight we'll watch Grease at my place. Bring popcorn after we go and watch some sorry auditions. My mom works late, we'll have the living-room to ourselves."

"You got me! We'll go, we'll watch whatever you say stop harping or I'll change my mind!" Zig exclaimed and she quieted down. Suddenly unknown to them, Mr. Armstrong on his prep period walked up the hall. Zig quickly shut his locker and Zoe attempted to hide in Zig's leather jacket but it didn't help their case any more than if she just stood there presumably innocent. The last thing Zoe wanted, was to get in trouble at school again. It would make things even worse at home than they were and it would only make her look like a bad seed in a new school. She went from the large fish in the large pond to the large red-spotted fish in the small pond of blue stripes.

"Isn't there somewhere you two should be? The odd word, homeroom." At least it wasn't the principal, he's unpredictable and his moods are spotty at best. Zig hasn't ever been in his office but he knows enough people to know that shit goes down. Zoe came out from Zig's shadowy black leather jacket and inched away into the locker in fear.

"Sorry Coach A, actually we you know, Zig and I. We were _just_ leaving to go to homeroom, weren't we, Zig." Without Armstrong seeing them she kind of need him in the side of the leg causing him to recoil in a spurt of pain before smiling from ear to ear the fakest little grin nodding like a mad man hoping he'd let them go off the hook with their over-timed conversation.

Armstrong smirked not exactly convinced their intentions were anything innocent but he was a fair guy. He had been a teenager once, raging hormones and all. He chuckled to himself but quickly snapped back and regained composure and became more stern, "Now get to class or do I have to lead you to Mr. Perino's homeroom?"

They both shook their heads and walked away briskly, as he walked away he chuckled, "See you two in fifth period gym. You'll be there Zig, and you'll be dressed Ms. Rivas." Zoe hasn't been dressing for gym. She sometimes cuts it all together by going to drown her sorrows in pills and then go crying to the guidance counselor who is completely sworn to secrecy and knows all about her sordid life after fame. If any of that stuff got out it would be a social suicide for the girl who was all too caring about people's perceptions of her. Image was everything to her, a reputation to uphold. The queen bee, in a class of worker bees it was just about making that treacherous and torturous climb in uncharted waters of high school. All her gym absences have been cleared with the main office and the counselor let's Armstrong know her whereabouts but there's no way he knew about that. Zig just would rather smoke behind the school in the forest of pines. The kids had no choice but to turn around and promise they would but they probably won't. Maybe this time they might sneak out together. When he turned around to leave the pair walked toward their homeroom and they walked inside together.

"Ms. Rivas, Mr. Novak nice of you to finally join us!" Mr. Perino said out loud turning the entire classroom's attention onto them as he was interrupted during roll call which basically turned into a let's shame these late students, "The term is half done and homeroom for when you were wondering and considering showing up, starts at seven sharp and you're late!"

They both in unison told him, "Sorry." Together, realizing the humiliation of dealing with a pissed off Italian guy before coffee. Perino wasn't through yet, "And Miss. Rivas' you keep this up and you'll have yourself a Saturday detention with me, and your pal Zig."

Miles seeking the opportunity to put his two cents in he cough-whispered in her general direction, "_Slut_." The classroom although sort of quiet managed some muffled laughter. Zig saw Maya and Tristan snarky expressions and laughter. Zig glared at Miles when he found him sitting in his chair without him knowing, revisiting his urge to fight him.

He knew he shouldn't have let himself forgive Miles yet for how he had treated Zoe and how he would only eventually treat Maya. Zoe heard her, her face turning rapidly red, avoiding the classrooms judgmental glares, she knows they heard it as well. They probably all agreed. Zig didn't want Zoe to wind up getting the brunt of trouble if Zig were to jump out of his seat and fold to the urge to bash in Miles for his constantly crude demeanor and remarks.

"Miles Hollingsworth? Got something to add? We got all day. You can come up here, teach the class. Or consider, is it any of my business."

He smirked tucking his pencil behind his ear and laying back his hands catching his head in his connected desk crossing his legs on the desk, "Nope."

"Then shut your trap in my classroom from here on out only speaking to maybe say stuff like,_ yes, sir_ and _present_. Got that?" Miles pretended his mouth was a zipper and zipped it shut and threw the key, "and do me a favor and figure out what relevance in the classroom means. Maybe by June you'll be smart to figure it out."

Zoe and Zig were happy to hear Miles get some comeuppance from Mr. Perino. Miles sat up straight, before he had something more to say. It was funny to see Miles get intimidated by someone. It was refreshing.

Perino 1 Miles 0 the score that settles. Sure Zig was mad for Perino unceremoniously calling him out on his lateness but that was well-deserved. Zoe however, is a constantly late person. She calls it the only attendance in fashion, as in fashionably late. What Miles said was uncalled for, but Perino was just mad at the obvious and not the principal. Resulting in the homeroom debacle, the classroom fell deadly quiet and only answered when they were called on as Mr. Perino continued uninterrupted the remaining names on the call sheet. As he finished the last name listed, the bell rang to be dismissed. He called out before everyone shuffled out at once for Miles stay behind "I'd like to have a word with you too, Ms. Rivas, you stay behind too."

Much to both of their collective dismay, Perino was likely going to bring up the state of affairs that managed to spill into the class on the first day. As the rest of the students immediately left with their backpacks and books it was just them three. Zig slowly stumbled out but he waited by the door for her to come out. He managed carefully to try to hear them but to no avail. He called them to his desk. Zoe made a face at Miles as he walked over and they both stared at him blankly.

"My homeroom is not a circus. I will _not_ have this, you understand?"

Zoe nodded, a retort came out, "But he's been really mean."

Miles snickered but didn't say a word, "Miles are you listening to me? I have a job to do. To make sure no one by accident is somehow left off the list. It becomes an office problem and quite frankly I don't have time to go over that miscalculation."

Miles finally quit with the wisecracks, "I didn't say anything."

"While you think that might be true, the fact of the matter is I heard you. I heard you refer to Miss. Rivas as . . an unsavory description of a loose woman."

Zoe was flushed and tried her damnest not let Miles see her face. She looked to the door, "It was offensive, distasteful and I do not I don't care who your father is - I will not tolerate it in my classroom."

Miles attempted a brave, brawny tough voice, "Sorry sir, won't happen again in your class."

"Or any classroom in this school. We have a zero tolerance bullying stance. I mean it. We've had students die in this school for even lesser things."

Zoe focused her attention once again to Mr. Perino, "Sorry I was late. Won't happen again." Miles focused his attention to the girl he once called his girlfriend and then after a slut.

"Saying is one thing, doing it is another. Mr. Hollingsworth I want you to apologize though for your crude remark."

Miles made a couple different faces but turned around and smugly looked at her with most disgust and disrespect, "Sorry, Mr. Perino it won't happen again."

Perino kindly and respectfully stepped between them and put his arm around their shoulders without making actual contact, which wasn't uncommon. Mr. Perino though stern is actually a really respectable staff member. He follows the rules by the book and the code of conduct for both students and teachers to feel safe in school. Sometimes his attitude can get him into trouble. For Zoe it was nice to know someone could make a career in making people shake in their boots. Especially people like Miles in his thousand dollar Armani boots.

"Alright, you both did what I asked you to do, get out of here. See you later on for history." Zoe and Miles separately walked out of the door. Although his apology was deeply resentful and not even directed toward her it was still something. At least she won't have to worry about Miles in class anymore. Now she wishes there could be something done to change the part about his entire existence.


	7. The Audition

**Seven**

The Audition

After school, Zoe and Zig walked into the somewhat crowded auditorium and noticed that Becky Baker was up front with papers and other junk for the club. The stage had a piano, some instruments and other props to help with auditions. They were right on time for something, for once. After homeroom the day just seemed to get worse and worse. They each couldn't help but notice up on the wall of the stage a large print of the two leads Sandy and Danny from the movie with the red _Grease_ insignia emblazoned on it clear as day.

Zig, still completely knowledge-less of the story still reluctantly sat down somewhere in the middle-back with Zoe beside him. On the other side of the row they each took turns looking as they saw Maya, Tristan and Miles sitting together laughing and giggling like a peanut gallery, Miles had his arm around Maya, Zig looked back to Zoe who was just attentively watching. Her eyes narrowed as she noticed Zig was looking at her, "What?" She asked as she uncomfortably tucked her hair behind her ear uncomfortably.

"So uh I was thinking, why didn't you go to gym?" Zig whispered, "Mr. Armstrong was looking for you. He was pretty pissed off. He made me clean up the kick ball equipment."

" What are you, my mom? Relax!" Zoe apologetically hissed back jokingly, "If you _must_ know, I had to stop home for my audition stuff." She absentmindedly pulled out a manila folder that had a bunch of papers inside and a CD with her demo reel of other affiliations she had been involved in her short but meteoric career. Zoe was in the zone. She thought to herself confidently, _I have this in the bag_. He liked her riveting and ever-present self confidence. He knew they'd be stupid not to cast her as anything but a leading role.

"What _stuff_?" Zig asked curiously eyeing the papers confusedly wondering if he himself was somehow unprepared.

"Sheet music, monologue sample, and headshot."

"Why would you need a _headshot_?" Zig asked aloud, making a face. It was stuff like that that made her sound a bit too ambitious, like a know-it-all.

Zoe, shrugged, "It's customary for _all_ auditions."

"What _exactly_ are they? I don't have one those."

"See, it's a 8x10" mugshot basically. You don't because you've never auditioned for anything before. It's alright though."

"It's a _high school_ musical not a TV audition."

Zoe just looked at him jokingly imitating what it'd look like if her heart sank, but she wasn't letting him win this easily, "Be prepared, safe than sorry."

He paused and dismissed the argument he knew he wouldn't win, what did _he_ know anyhow? He had never acted before. Zig pursed his lips together as he waited impatiently for this meeting to start and more importantly get to the free pizza.

Pizza was the driving force for him to show up anyhow and secretly or not so secretly spend more time with the girl he had become increasingly drawn to in recent days, but he had no explanation as to why. After final bell, he had smoked a joint in the woods behind the school with a few of his friends and then lied and told them he had to go home to help his mom out at the store. In reality, he went to meet Zoe at the audition, but not before he doused himself with Axe to mask the skunk smell. He was feeling less nerves by smoking beforehand. It helps him socialize and calm down. If he didn't he would easily let the peanut gallery get to them and he wasn't going to let that happen, namely Miles. He was still aggravated by homeroom and his comment. Zoe saw him after homeroom and said that hopefully she wouldn't have to worry about Miles because Perino has his eye on him. Zig hoped for Miles' sake she was right. If not there would be a beat down in order for a one, Miles Hollingsworth but he wasn't really in the mood to act on it just today. He was feeling the familiar euphoric senses of the THC, a chemical that gets you high. It takes seven seconds to hit your lungs yet it lasts for sometimes a few hours.

Finally attention was brought up front and center stage as the blonde and perky Becky Baker called everyone's attention. Zig couldn't help but roll his eyes at how much of a joy she has even when she talks about matters as dark as death. She's so bright and happy all the time, he wondered if anyone had cried.

At the podium she stood. She announced, "_Grease_ was Adam's favorite musical. It was only right that this year, we as a school would come together and make it our spring musical." The students in the auditorium clapped, when the clapping died down she added, "Our Drama Club advisory is a former staff member most currently a Smithdale English and musical theater professor on sabbatical, Ms. Laura Kwan, Ms. Kwan please come up."

Laura Kwan had been faced with somewhat of a culture-shock coming into the school. In recent years, as announced she did move from high school level to college. For years at Degrassi, she had struggled with kids indifferent to her unconventional methods of teaching. Rather than read a play, she'd instruct students to act it out. It was like pulling teeth from time to time. In Smithdale, the students were much more passionate about acting and enjoyed acting out, exclaiming that it was much more enjoyable of a classroom experience. This just encouraged her. Now days she did still want to work with students who were in the younger set, and she had a lot of fond memories as a teacher at Degrassi. She was pretty attached to the classes in the past who had long since graduated to bigger and better things and she had a lot to do with that. She keeps in touch with most of them. As of now, she was granted sabbatical which means that she could take a brief semester long hiatus and do something that she wouldn't be able to do while in full-time teaching, outside of the campus confines. She decided she wanted to spend her time at the first school she worked at, Degrassi Community School. She looked out into the auditorium hoping to see some familiar faces. She knew her former student, Marco Del Rossi was teaching English now in her old classroom. She was really happy to see him. She was also fortunate to run into her former colleagues and was happy to see Mr. Simpson has been promoted to principal. She was a bit saddened and a bit surprised to see that Daphne Hatzilacos was no longer working at the school, Mr. Simpson had mentioned that she had moved to take care of her sick mother in Regina. Officially her initial reasons for leaving was that Mr. Sheppard was the serving principal and she disagreed with his policies and she quickly applied for a position at Smithdale and was asked to work there full time. She was delighted to get out of the school that was being run poorly, losing funding and quite frankly it was a positive change of pace. When she approached to come back she was welcomed with ope arms. It's not permanent but it's a great experience for her. It'll help with her doctorate essy on theater in the classroom on the high school level.

As she set herself up at the podium and Becky stepped aside beaming excitedly Ms. Kwan began speaking, "Hello everyone. I don't see a whole lot of familiar faces. I taught here for about ten years and then I was hired at Smithdale University as Becky mentioned. I decided to come here for my sabbatical because this place is very special to me and if you're passionate about theater you've come to the right place. I assure you I will put whatever it takes, one-hundred percent to make this the best production. Our school has a stellar reputation for great acting and productions and this should be no different. I'm very excited to be on board and I can't wait to hear all of your audition to fill those roles up." Ms. Kwan nodded to Imogen who passed around a sheet after putting her name on it to pass around from person to person to sign up for the audition process, "Coming around is a sign-in sheet. Put your name and a time between now and five thirty, we will get to everyone today if not tomorrow after school."

As the students signed their names and kept it going the mic was again, passed to Becky, "Immy?"

The girl with the glasses whipped her head around breaking her distraction from socializing, "Yeah Bec?"

"Did you order the pizza yet? We're going to get started in a few minutes."

Imogen called back to her friend who was at that time center stage, "Yeah I did. Joe from the place said it should be around twenty minutes. I called. Think _eight_ pies were enough?"

"Plenty, awesome." Becky exclaimed giving her friend two thumbs up as the room shuffled around with muffled talking and buzzing with excitement. When Zig heard there was going to be eight pies he rejoiced like a kid in a toy store on Christmas.

Zig also felt elated because he was already feeling the hunger pangs of the munchies coming back in full force, just twenty more minutes to go. Before long the first auditions were making their way to the stage. Zoe just watched silently, as Maya went first. She played some dinky little Taylor Swift song. Her monologue was from some romantic comedy. Zoe wasn't nervous at all, she had it down. After Maya came a few lackluster auditions came and went. Mostly overly ambitious freshman, bottom of the barrel and the totem pole. Finally, Zig was called up. He uncomfortably shuffled on stage. Zoe clapped excitedly for her friend but slowly stopped when she got some ominous glares and everyone else remained silent, she called out once more, "Go Zig!"

Zig got up on stage and called out to the audience that was all blacked out and was barely able to recognize anyone, "I'm Zig Novak and I'm auditioning for the male lead, Danny."

Everyone looked at him bug-eyed and highly underwhelemed, mostly due to the block of rather hopeless auditions. Ms. Kwan looked down clip board in hand replied into the mic downstage in the first row, "Do you have sheet music?"

Zig shook his head eyed the collection of instruments plucked from the band room to aid in any and all auditions. He hadn't the slightest clue what he was doing but he was about to impress anyone and he didn't even know it yet. He just simply took a page from how auditions he had seen in movies, or high school musicial he had watched with his younger cousin or just remembered what it was like to hold a guitar in his hand once more; an old long lost friend.

He carefully picked up the guitar on top of the piano and cradled it in his arms. His movements didn't expell leadership material at all, but he didn't give up. He clumsily sat upon a stool and began playing the beginning to _Simple Plan's I'm Addicted to You_. Stylistically, he played it a lot more stripped down and less pop charged. He only had one instrument of course. In breaks he was able to with his other hand get the beat of the song by slapping the side of the guitar to make it sound like there was a drum. He learned it all by ear and he committed it to memory. It was defiant and clearly a stand out performance but he just played on effortlessly and simply pretended like he wasn't even there. He just concentrated on getting through the song. He may not be an actor but he is a performer. Zoe's eyes opened wide nearly out of her sockets when she saw how much of a talent her new friend was. He found it easier if he wasn't playing to anyone specific. He just concentrated on the song, the notes and chords. He knew the chords because it was the first song he ever learned to play. All from memory. It was easy for him, though challenging at first. He knew he had nailed it when he noticed people were swaying and clapping along and even some were quietly singing along..

The stone slowed down for the big finish, he quietly leaned into the microphone at the long pause,

_Now it's over, I can't forget what you said. And I never . . want to do this again._

He paused once again for impact, _Heart breaker_. The auditorium, clapped loud and it didn't die down for a second and he finished in a confident manner, "_heart breaker_."

As Zig left the stage, Ms. Kwan said once the applause faded and ended, "Thank-you Zig. That concludes today's auditions. Plenty of pizza is here, enough to go around, and I'll be on hand if anyone has any questions in lieu to anything pertaining acting, auditions, monologues. It's really anything goes. I will be here tomorrow for more auditions, I hope more people come along."

Zig returned to his seat and looked at Zoe all she said to him as she wrapped her arms around him, "That was amazing! Who knew?"

As Maya left her seat, she wistfully looked square at Zig. Tris sort of took notice and motioned her to leave the auditorium, followed by Miles who glared at Zig with a, "Who does he think he is?" wisecrack in his glares. Soon it was just them and the lingering bunch of students, namely the ones who stayed for the pizza. As Zig left stage he got two slices one for him and one for Zoe, Maya had to of seen but Zig didn't even care.

As Zoe went on and on and discussed his talents, he regressed into his average everyday calm demeanor. He had pretended not to see Maya. It was after-all kind of about her. It was the only song besides the Whisperhug library that he knew on his own. He recomposed it for a solo rather than a group. He tried hard not to beam proudly and keep his tough-guy image in tact. He even tended to tune her out as he stuffed his face with pizza. He slowly realized he was being rude by withholding Zoe her slice and passed her the other slice which she politely thanked him, before she continued on talking about how awesome of a musician he was. He didn't want to be that guy, in actuality he was just _really_ high.


	8. Make a Date

**Eight**

Make a Date

Zig and Zoe, following the auditions went to his mom's store to buy some snacks for the movie. His mother happened to see them at the register by the door as they brought their choices to be rung up and paid for. His mother beamed delightedly, "Zigmund," She exclaimed quickly adding, "Is this a _friend_ from school?" She tended to imply when he took a girl to the store or any girl around his age when they're both working who decides to come in would be his girlfriend, so obviously _friend_ she was using the pronoun subjectively. She had her eyebrow raised as she looked at the two of them.

Zoe smiled back at the slender woman, and pulled out her hand to shake politely introducing herself, "Zoe Rivas."

Clearly Zoe hadn't caught on to Ms. Novak discreet way of saying she approved of the new girl she brought in, "My boy met a big star, I see? You are the girl who is on _Westdrive_? If not you look just like her."

Zoe insecurely looked down and then returned her looks back up at Zig's kindly mother faking a smile, "Yep, that's me." In response Zig's mother clapped her hands giddily. Zig smiled at his mom looking down.

Afterall, Zoe is a seasoned actress it's easy for her to say that she's still on the show now that it's obvious her death hasn't aired yet. She didn't want to disappoint people so she'd lie if they asked her the truth.

Arguably steps leading up to her getting fired don't make her feel very good so she tries to disengage as much as possible. Sometimes she wonders if that's what all people would see her as, the bitchy girl on a teen-drama. Her arms were crossed around her body, but she wasn't upset it was just a natural language for her as she waited. She wished her mother would be a bit more like Zig's mom. She knew she just met her, but she actually seemed to care. She seemed strict, or at the very least someone who cares enough for her child, unlike her mom. Put it this way, she believes if her mother really cared she'd have a better way of showing it. Her mom likes to ground and then not talk about it, which isn't exactly something that helps anything. If Zoe ever got in trouble on the show her way to handle it was to make excuses. It's primarily Zoe's mouth that tends to get her in trouble. However she never gets grounded for talking back to her mother, it's stuff that happens outside of the home; completely useless as for discipline is concerned.

"Sweeter than the last one too. " Ms. Novak continued praising Zoe which made her feel a bit uncomfortable because she's not this big star anymore to be praised she's just this high school student; a fallen star. "I had to pay for her lipsticks that she would swipe while we weren't looking, right Zig?" Visibly Zig was flushed as his mother talked about Zoe right in front of her not to mention the girl from the summer who is nothing but a memory now. Zig just offered Zoe a nod and tried hard to deflect the conversation. Zoe wordlessly raised her brow as his mother was picking up one of the items. _So Zig had another girl over the summer but it wasn't anything special_.

Truthfully, she was a no strings hook up but she had a wandering eye and sticky fingers, to say the least it didn't last long. He was embarrassed his mother brought it up, "Ms. Rivas, you're welcome any time."

"I'll keep that in mind." Zoe answered but then couldn't help to see Zig was clearly distressed and looking for an out as his mom finally started ringing up the snacks they bought for the movie night and putting the chips and things in the bag.

His mother said, "$6.70."

Zoe began to take out her debit card, but as she was doing that Zig gestured for her to put it away and he agreed to pay. Then presumably forgetting where he was, pulled out a wad of cash. His mother's eyes widened but she didn't say anything. Zig only said, "I only have a twenty."

He had more than one twenty from the looks of the wad; it looked like hundreds of dollars. _Why would he carry that much cash on him? _Zoe wondered to herself but quickly looked to Zig's mom whose face was a bit more concerned, she probably was wondering where exactly the money has come from and was as surprised as Zoe that he was carrying a chunk of change that heft just throughout the day. Zoe however, knew about the drug dealing, in fact she was one of his most loyal customers but his mother, all along had no idea.

His mother snatched it appearing a bit angry or perturbed her eyebrow furrowed. Zig pursed his lips together nervously as she checked for any evidence of a counterfeit before opened up the drawer. Once the drawer was opened she looked at him once more and gave him the change, she put it in the palm of his hand, giving him this look he couldn't describe. As Zig led the way out Zoe took the bags and smiled, "Goodbye Ms. Novak, it was great meeting you."

"You too Zoe." She said in a friendly manner aloud although she really was skeptically eyeing her son once more before they both left the store. It wouldn't put it past Zig if she watched him right out the door. He knew it to be true he was royally fucked, but he just wanted it all to be dropped as they walked out of the store and the bell rang out as the door opened and closed behind them.

"She seems nice." The brunette starlet said naïve to the Novak family dynamic so to speak; she was unable to read the body language his mother was throwing at him. At heart, Zig was a momma's boy always was. He can't outright lie to her much less upset her. She always caught him red handed if he did manage to lie.

"Yeah." Zig was all he could manage as he grew increasingly wary and vulnerable, even going as far as walking briskly in front of her raking his hands through his hair and breathing in and out. His heart was beating out of his chest. He got some looks on the street but they went ahead and ignored him after he noticed he was with someone and that it was likely none of their business.

Zoe ran after him, also dodging looks calling loud, "Wait up!"

Zig stopped and whipped himself around to face her before leaning his body against the nearest brick wall, "I'm fucking dead."

Zoe offered him a sympathetic but a not so understanding expression all she could say is a compassionate, "I don't understand. What _exactly_ happened back there?"

"Exactly? I'm just dead. She's going to find out about everything."

"Just think positive, stay calm . . ."

"Fuck calm."

"You got a better alternative?"

Zig paused and shook his head, until he decided to speak again "You don't get it. Let me break it down for you." He gestured with his hands whispering so that no one could hear him, "She didn't know that, I am a drug dealer and now she's probably going to find out. Or she's going to ask me about the money, where I got it did I fucking steal it? When she saw my wad of cash. I'm just dead, Zoe."

"Just don't tell her . . you know the truth . . "

"It's not that easy. You don't know her like I do. She's not like your folks, not that I met them but judging by the way you describe them." Zig shook his head crossing his arms, he laid his head on the brick and groaned out loud, "Let's just watch the movie, I need to take my mind of off of it."

Zoe took his hand in hers, and he smiled at her as she pulled him the way to her house, "Glad you asked."


	9. Teenage Dream

**Nine**

Teenage Dream

Zoe with the plastic-bag from Zig's mother's store in hand, walked into her large mansion home followed by Zig. The whole way in the car to her house, which wasn't far from the main road he complained about the risk of his mother asking where he's getting the large sum of money. If she knew his secret he had no idea what she would do. First he'd get the reaming of a life time, she'd probably ask him if he's using and then that would be another thing. The _worst_ thing.

So it's possible that he could have saved the money but she would be simply unconvinced. When she'd see kids like himself in the store when he was a kid, she would turn to him once they left, "Drug addicts, the best liars in the world." Sometimes they'd short her, them and that would come right out of her pay. She used to hire teenagers but she'd find somehow that they'd be stealing money or goods from the register, mostly petty theft like impulse items which were expendable but do add up. She pays him under the table when he helps out at the store but not nearly enough to fill a wallet with a wad that large. Most likely he'll be punished by getting his prized car taken away. Who knows when he'd get it back. Zig's mother always manages to bring out the fear in him. She raised him largely on her own, on her own dime with the store left in their family. Deep down he knows that he'll never afford university, barely would make it with the grades he has now to even a community college. He accepted it though, a long, long time ago. The store rarely makes quotas and it's a wonder they hadn't gone out of business, people think when someone owns a store chances are they are rolling in the dough, the owners. Rent is high in the space and it contributes, buyers come in but it's mostly off-brand but they occasionally have items that are worth it and are the name brands it's just not as common, usually a shipping mishap.

Over time, Zoe grew annoyed with the downtrodden sob story of his life and was looking to escape her rather bland high school existence with a movie to take their mind off it all. He hoped it would take his mind off the obvious. Zig was largely silent, he just looked around hopelessly at her luxurious digs. He removed his leather jacket revealing a white tee-shirt, she took it from him and hung it on the expensive looking coat rack by the front door. Finally, he spoke, "It's really pretty in here."

"The interior decorator pitched a bunch of different looks." Zoe said walking into the open plan of the house and walking him through the interior decorators vision, practically verbatim from the pitch she had obviously seen, "Would you believe that all the wood and fixtures are made from real stained wood?"

Zig just beamed pretending to understand all the museum-esque jargon she was speaking in. To him, it was all Greek. He had to go and put his foot in his mouth by paying a compliment but he didn't expect her to go into this meticulous detailed statement. Zoe removed her purse and sweater and hooked them by the door. He could see the large shabby chic tan and taupe furniture and turquoise walls with pictures of Zoe and such adoring the walls in expensive looking frames. There was one, he recalled seeing in a magazine before hung in a large frame above the fireplace with her mother beside her. They were smiling, her mother looked young but radiant, youthful still and he finally saw where Zoe got her looks. Namely, her big beautiful eyes brown in color. Standing beside him, she too admired where he was looking, "That's me and my mom. In happier times. Now she's obsessed with work and is never home anymore."

He just offered her a nod, his hands still in his pockets, after a silence, looking to the large comfortable couches close by, "Shall we sit?"

"Of course, let me set up the movie." She stated plainly as Zig sat down on the couch and she walked to the entertainment center. He couldn't help but notice all the technology in the house. He saw five or six remotes on the table alone. In front of him was a large plasma screen television, probably about 72 inches. It was a large wooden thing you would probably buy at Ikea but it looked much more expensive than that. _Zoe is rich_, he thought to himself silently._ She's seen my house, it looks like a shack compared to hers_.

Zoe opened up the large doors toward her with many titles of a vast DVD collection. He had managed to see that she even had all the seasons of _Westdrive_ but it's doubtful that she had watched them all. She pulled out her _Grease_ DVD with her back still to him as she messed with the DVD player and put in the disc finally turning around. She called to him as she made her way to the couch,"You can make yourself comfortable. The couch isn't going to eat you."

He snickered feigning that he was fine, perfectly comfortable and he couldn't lie that he was comfy on her big suede couch. He looked to the screen sitting beside her. Zoe beamed sitting next to him, "You're gonna love it, Zig."

Within seconds, the movie began with waves crashing, the two romantic leads in a montage at the beach, with one of the remote controls resting on the coffee table she was able to turn off the lights and with another she was able to bring down the shades for the lights to be killed and the room quickly managed to simulate a movie theater. Zig already was feeling he wasn't going to like this movie much but he kept his mouth shut for Zoe. He would often get playfully pinched by his ex girlfriend Tori for lesser things when he would be brave enough to make a comment of something she had favored. In many ways the brunette reminded him the a girl from his recent past, who lived a privileged life akin to Zoe's minus the actress thing. Secretly, Zig couldn't help but notice little quirks and quips in Zoe that made him see how much Tori would have loved to know the real Gatsby Garcia. He humble, smart, talkative and often kindhearted Zoe. The kids at school had her all wrong, even he when he first met her on the very first day had her all wrong. All she wanted was a friend, and Zig was willing to be that friend.

She turned to Zig, she was barely able to make him out in the dark but she noticed he was more entranced in her so she naturally spoke while opening the bag and removing the snacks. She whispered, opening the bag silently without disturbing him,"We have surround sound _too_. See, just like the movies."

Zig nodded favorably, "I like."

Both of them turned their attention to the movie, that likely Zoe had seen a thousand times. Zig never understood the appeal of seeing something again and again as if once wasn't enough. It was something girls did but he never did. It's part of the reason he liked music because you can hear a song a thousand times and hear new things in the musicians, interpretations of the lyrics are all different to everyone and it's something he was more likely to treasure and remember. It's also part of the reason he favored video games with vast story-lines and control over what occurs. In a movie you sit there hopelessly and tirelessly to the bitter end and it's just you and all the emotions scattered about, often with too many characters to keep track of but yet the ending is mostly always predictable. Zig pulled out his white cheddar popcorn bag out of the plastic bag between them and pried it open trying hard not to disturb her clearly more in the movie than he was. He also never understood why people would watch movies as a date, the couple would never interact and he would naturally be constantly transfixed on a date on his date. Again he shrugged it off and watched the movie, after-all she was doing this for _him_. He had no room for complaints to speak of.

. . .

It was silent aside from the movie and Zoe's mind had turned to static. She was in a white room with a staircase akin to The Beauty School Dropout in the set for Westdrive High. At the top of the steps, the centerpiece of the school she saw Zig, his hair wet slicked back and wearing his signature look, a leather jacket only it was white. In fact everything was eerily painted white from the lockers to the checkered tile on the floors. She was somehow sitting at a bench on the other side. She was the only person in colors.

_Your story's sad to tell, __a teenage-melodrama queen bee_

_a mean girl, n__ever a new kid on the block_

On either side of him she saw a slew of familiar faces. Tristan, Maya, girls from Westdrive wearing all white much like the costumes in the iconic movie scene. They were dancing along as Zig sung her many insecurities in some bizarre retelling of Grease with her as the star. Instead it was just plain weird, he knew her secrets. He knew her insecurities but he didn't know the truth. It had to have been a dream, a horribly implausible dream. Yet she was in too deep and couldn't wake up out of it.

_Your future's so unclear now, __what's left of your career now? __Can't even walk in my shoes, for a mile_

_Westdrive Dropout, no graduation day for you_

_Westdrive Dropout, __got your comeuppance, what a fool_

_While at least you could have taken time to be more kind to your cast mates . . ._

Suddenly the dream started to deteriorate, she heard Zig whispering her name softly but then progressively louder, over and over, the girls in the scene too followed suit including the one guy Tristan. The group still calling her name were walking down the stairs toward her still bizarrely enough in character, "Zoe, Zoe. Zoe!" The room was filled in echoes and she found herself fling her eyes open before they were able to reach her. She opened one eye seeing that was once again at home, and not at the creepy all white washed Westdrive set. As the movie was ending. she twitched impulsively accidentally hitting Zig in the arm. She sympathetically looked at her old pal Zig engrossed in the movie and offered him a wry smile apologizing for the accident.

She eyed the screen, the last scene with Sandy, Danny flying off into the sun and she found Zig snickering, "Wow that ending was ridiculous."

Zoe shook her head and declined on telling him what had happened while she had fallen asleep midway through the movie. He added, "I didn't even notice you were asleep. Then, I just left you alone."

Zoe stammered, embarrassed covering her face and checking if she had and drool to wipe off her face, "I- I had a weird dream."

"What was it about?" Zig asked in reply, amused.

She found proper words to the describe the dream although the whole thing sounds superficial considering the obvious, "You were _singing_ to me."

He made a face in an attempt not to laugh out loud at the statement, "Which song?"

She sighed audibly laughing a bit herself, "_Westdrive_ Dropout."

He snickered shaking his head, "You're a heavy sleeper and you snore."

"I do not." She protested as straightened herself up now sitting up on the couch, turning the lights up with her remote a bit so she could see him, blushing, "I so didn't mean to fall asleep."

"I forgive you." Zig said looking at her smiling, "It's not bad. I wonder if I'll get to be Danny."

"Probably, my audition is tomorrow. I hope to be Rizzo. I just feel like she's misunderstood, like me. I used to sing that song she sings, in the shower."

Zig nodded and smiled at the girl, "I can see it. Except you're sweet."

"I can play a bitch, how hard could it be?"

"I just don't think you're a bitch, I don't even like that word."

The laughter was interrupted by a car door shutting and the front door opening. Her mother was home, Zoe looked comfortably at Zig, "My mom is going to be so happy I actually have a friend over."

Her smile faded as the door opened she was horrified by what she saw next. Her mother in the arms of none other than Curtis. She failed to notice her daughter on the couch and a boy there. She was a bit tied up at the moment, she took a breath from the kiss she had planted on Curtis sometime before they walked in and pulled him up the stairs. Zig managed to get a look at the guy and inquiringly looked at Zoe.

Zoe just stood there flabbergasted for a few moments but he was unable to read what she could have thought in that moment. Zoe was hoping that she could introduce Zig to her mother, her first friend at Degrassi. Unfortunately her mother had other plans, to get her job back. Just as Zoe was adjusting to school and starting to enjoy herself her mother was just unhappy with her latest exploits at Degrassi. Her mother quite possibly had the worst timing.

Zoe wished that she could have told her mother what she knew about Curtis being unreliable but she was just frozen silently but it'd be like opening a Pandora's Box and feared disappointing her mom. Curtis before he had gone up the stairs, had the nerve to look at her. Zoe wasn't going to hold her breath though about the job front. She never saw that from her mother. "_Politics",_ she sneered out loud after a lot of silence. She eyed the keys in Zig's pocket while he remained seated taking them out of his pocket, "Let's go."

Zig reluctantly got up off the couch, sort of at a loss for words but knew something changed her from her usually confident bubbly self. He never saw her as impulsive so it was disheartening. "Are you okay?"

"Never better." She lied as she inched for the door, cool and distant.

He was less than convinced that all was okay in the mind of Zoe Rivas. Zig followed her he couldn't help but sense the disappointment in her voice. Leaving their bags of snacks behind on the couch, but that was the least of their worries as she ran out the door and hopped into the driver's seat immediately. Zig wasn't far behind her as she whisked open the front door all the while, crying. Her mind was going a mile a minute, she didn't even grab her cardigan, he had forgotten his jacket back at the house.

"Zoe!" He shouted as she started the car reaching the car.

When he reached for the driver-side door through the window she activated the window to go down, "You coming or not?" She was hysterical she sniffled refusing to make eye contact with him, he wasn't sure if she had a death-wish or something was seriously wrong, she shouted impatiently, "Get in!"

Zig shook his head, "No! You go to the passenger side, we'll talk."Zoe looked at him sheepishly and skeptically cocking an eyebrow but complied, as she sat in her rightful spot, he added, "No one drives it but me."

As they backed out of the driveway Zoe confessed, "I can't drive anyway."

Zig could only easy the tension of not knowing what was wrong by filling it with a nervous chuckle. She finally spoke after they were driving down a tree filled route, it was around sunset the sky was pale orange, she had settled down now she wasn't crying at that moment but any moment she could fall into hysterics like that frightening moment at her driveway, "I can't be there, not tonight. Not with _him_ there."

"Who was he?"

Zoe eyed him and spat, "Doesn't matter, I hate him."

"Let me take a shot and the dark and say, your step-dad."

Zoe made a disgusted face, but didn't say anything just yet, she almost thought that somehow he wouldn't press her for questions. Fortunately, they reached the ravine. Zig stopped where-ever to park, it didn't matter because it was a park and any spot was free game. No one was around. It was just them. There wasn't a bonfire because it was a weekday. So they had the place to themselves. Zig was about to open the door but she stopped him, "A few months ago, I was fired from _Westdrive_, everybody knows that. Technically, I was fired because I was a bitch to people onset." She shrugged it off, but Zig was smart to see that that simply wasn't true that it was the only thing on her mind. She was far from finished. "I tried unsuccessfully to keep my job. I tried being less of a bitch to my co-stars but they still killed me off. About a week before we were called in for that meeting I did something that I will never forgive myself for." Zig's face softened, he let go of the door and fully faced her now. He turned off the car so that the car was just filled with an ominous yet inviting silence, a few hot tears fell down her already tear-stained face as she looked down, ashamed. "That guy you saw back there, he was always nice to the other actresses. If you were on good terms with him, you were almost guaranteed for success. He would write you better plots. He would invite everyone over for extra help and training. Real nice, huh?"

Zig couldn't really disagree but he sensed there was some more, "Well yeah, I really don't know how television works so it's nice to have someone on your side."

"Until he got what he _really_ wanted from me in my time of desperation." Zoe snickered cynically, wiping back the tears with her hand, "He invited me over, alone past my curfew so I had to sneak out. I thought we were going over these plans, we did. He would do that sometimes but usually it was a meeting but yeah. He had wine there and we ended up getting drunk. Maybe just I got drunk. It was my _first_ drink. I thought he was going to ask me, to do _something_. You know the whole, you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. I know I heard the rumors. I-I just let him get it _over with_ with me. I thought it'd help improve the circumstances. No one would know and - I don't know."

Zig was stunned and gutted emotionally from her heartfelt and shocking confession, but unfortunately he couldn't offer her anything. He was at a loss for words but he wasn't upset at her, he couldn't have been. She was trusting him enough that she would talk, and he would listen to her. Instead, he just stood there, looking at her horrified by the revelation and noticing the picture he saw before him at her home, how they had lived this grand life or so he thought.

What he saw was a disconnected, young, naïve girl who had to grow up too fast and was preyed on by an older guy who sensed that weakness and did what he had to do to have his way with her. In the silence she just succumbed to the fear of distancing herself finally from the heavy burden of her secret and her television persona. She had no idea who she was. She just fell into Zig's arms and cried. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her, softly whispering, "I'm here for you, Zoe and I'm not going anywhere." He meant it.

"Officially, no one knows at work or school and you're the only one who knows," She managed trying hard to breathe and still attempt to extinguish any more tears from her eyes but still resting her head on his shoulder muffled voice but emotionally confessing everything to her only friend, "but I know in my heart that it was bad, and wrong and I felt horrible and I still fucking do."

"You shouldn't feel like that." He offered, he felt tiny. He felt useless. This is someone crying into his shirt and he felt like he couldn't do anything to get her to stop.

She pulled away, her face covered in remnants of her made up, raccoon eyes, she tirelessly wiped but without a mirror she was missing spots and smearing it worse. She detested being emotional, crying it was always somethings he did privately. She used to sometimes cry for attention but now she's crying because of things, things that have actually happened that made her emotions turn to crying, "I don't know how to feel but what I know is that it was wrong. I don't know what I did wrong. They fired me because I didn't get along with anyone. I find in Degrassi that yeah, same problem can't get along with anyone and yet I've never been expelled."

Zig managed a smile which she returned, "No you just manage to get yourself in trouble. What he did, that's his problem."

"I suppose you're right." She answered shyly, she turned around to face forward, pulling down the mirror and getting a look at her face. While primping in the mirror she cleaned her face off with her sleeve. Zig opened up the glove compartment and gave her a tissue. As she wiped her tears, she still couldn't help but catch him looking at her.

"I just," He hesitated as she whipped around to look at him, the tissue still in her hands, "Do you think it's weird no, maybe not weird scratch that, I guess what I wanted to say is that I feel like it's something I can't control. When I'm with you I can't stop looking at you. I can't stop thinking about you though when you're not around." She was stunned in silence, after a pause he added, "I just I didn't know when to tell you. Now, you don't have to say anything, but I know you want a _friend_ more than anything but I feel like I'm in love with you or something."

She sort of managed to drop her jaw, she didn't take her eyes from him but she didn't say anything for a long time, "I know _exactly_ what you mean. I-" He cut her off though, as he leaned in close to her and touched his forehead to hers. He opened his eyes for a moment and she hadn't moved away. He could feel her smiling against his face. She had one remaining sniffle, a remnant from all the crying, finally they both succumbed to their feelings, which were unable to be avoided any more. He caressed her cheek with his thumb, sort of combing the hair nearest to her cheek behind her ear back before taking her head into his hand and touching his lips to hers for a soft, romantic kiss. He pulled away a second later, she bit her lip before smiling her face almost instantaneous turned a shade of pink before she leaned in and planted him with a kiss back, this time more passionate, she leaned closer to the driver's side and with her knees she jumped over the center armrest that would separated them, to sit in his lap not taking a breath between the move.


	10. The Placebo Effect

**Ten**

The Placebo Effect

As Zig walked into his house close to midnight, he saw that the kitchen light was still on. As he reached the kitchen, he sheepishly walked in seeing his mother sitting at the table with a pair of reading glasses on as she went over the store inventory and bills. She often did that at night around about twice a month. Sometimes he wonders if his mother sleeps at all. She's always doing things at night her sleep schedule is much to be desired and is often confusing because sometimes he misses her as he comes in at night and sometimes she's up. She called his name offering him a smile, "Zig, come sit."

He feared this, seeing her expression over the money in the store earlier was enough to send him over the edge. For awhile, Zoe distracted his mind away from that issue which was in no way some small feat. Again, Zig is almost always afraid of his mom, she's knowledgeable and she knows when something is wrong. It's as if she has eyes everywhere or in the back of her head. With the guilty complex, he sat down at the chair. With his jacket in hand, he eventually retrieved when he walked Zoe home before he came home. He draped it over the back of the chair. He worried, naturally and yet he had some things to tell himself, for once they are good things. He tried to push the guilt to the back of his mind, or at least not bring up anything until she spoke.

He did what he was told, he sat down slumped over at the kitchen table that only had two chairs, he was now across from her. She removed her glasses, and set them on the spiral ring notebook with the numbers and checks and balances handwritten, although her pen remained by her ear, and cleared the area by moving her calculator to the side, thus turning her attention to him. "Honey, I just, I feel bad that I haven't been able to devote time to you lately."

His mom almost brought out the little boy in him, feeling just as small as when Zoe confessed her heart's most deepest secrets to him earlier in the car. His mom makes him feel small because of her nurturing nature, he never could predict what she was about to say next. Guiltily for making her worry, his head was down in shame, how could he possibly look her in the eye. He simply had to face the music.

He instantly replied, "I've made it this far on my own, plus it's up to you to run the store, you don't have to worry about me so mu -"

She cut him off, "You shouldn't _have_ to. Parenting you is _my_ job, my real responsibility in life and I feel like I'm not doing a good enough job like you have always done for _me_."

He managed to offer her a wry smile, although it was true he _hated_ being a burden on his mother and it's likely one of his biggest insecurities when it came to everything. Sure he could be that tough intimidating guy at school, surrounded by a sea of people who don't really matter to him, but with his mom she reduced him to this young child again, he retrogresses. If she asked him to jump, he would say how high? About six years ago, when Zig was beginning junior high he started to learn about responsibility in the face of his father leaving his mother and him for a younger woman. His mother never crumbled, his mother in result quickly became his hero. If she were to ask for anything he would do it, he remembers like yesterday what she said to him, when that happened you're the man of the house now. He wasn't sure if she even realized how much weight it had to him. Ever since then he tried his best to be anything but good to his mom, because she sacrificed everything her happiness, her marriage, every aspect of his life he feels like he owes to her. She was the best mother he could ever ask for so keeping his secrets from her was like the hardest thing he ever had to do in his life. Harder than biting the bullet, and declining Maya even though she asked him out because he knew her better to say no. He didn't want to do that later. The drugs just helped him cope, the dealings with the drugs is to get money to support his meager home life existence. Despite his best efforts, even the money he gets from that is never enough to keep up with all the bills and such. She added in his silence in response to her lectures, "I'm not asking you to stop, I'm telling you to. I want you to help me, but not like this. "

"Mom . . . "

"I will pay whatever, I'll get you a tutor through the school. I want you to succeed, my son." She sighed, "I don't want you to end up like me, unable to _provide_ for your kid's future and feeling horrible and guilty for being unable to make your father stay with us and . . just turn the blind eye. I just, I let him go."

"No, he left on his own accord, he didn't give a damn about you or me." Zig found him self covering his ears from her horrible words about herself, projected onto him like a reminder but Zig still lives in this childhood state of denial to get him through. While his father did leave, it's unclear but all his father gave him was nothing, not a damn thing since he was twelve going on thirteen years old - all his father brought him was grief. All his precious childhood moments shattered forever by his father's betrayal to not only him, but his mother too. She gave him her heart and he repaid her _by the ultimate betrayal_. Thinking about him or even the slight mention of him makes his hands curl into fists; trumps the thought of beating up on some dickhead poser Miles over something that seems so trivial, like _Maya_. This was an exception to that rule. Besides, he believes he has Zoe now. She'll know that he's no longer Maya's stray puppy dog by tomorrow morning. However, Zig believes that there's more than a million cracks in the _Hollingsworth Estate Family Kingdom_ or so he believes the rich upper-crust of Degrassi to be, people like Miles' father. He seemed like he acts out to get his father's attention, Zig does it to remain like a black sheep, and stay untouchable to anyone. Perhaps, he should go through high school like that. Speaking of upper crust, Zoe may be upper crust but she sure knows how to have fun, and she knows how to talk and still be able to listen. To him, Zoe is just the girl for him. Arguably, the girl of his dreams, which is strange because this feeling is all too new to him. He feels the constant want to protect her, exact revenge on a girl he much loves or at least be knowledgeable about it enough to play a role in it. Maya would see right through him, she'll see who he really is. A jealous, jerk who is a hypocrite. He is, he'll admit because he fooled around while he promised to wait for her. It was when he was angry, sullen and hanging out with Damon and the other cronies at Degrassi in their gangsta slouched pants, over sized hoodies, skull caps and the girls in their midriff bearing, hoop earings and flair and denim mini skirts scoping out the 'bad boys' to have their way with them in the van. The ravine was made, from the dawn of Degrassi to be the place for cheap drunks, solo cups and booze and grimness of the woods by a fire at night. It's bound to happen while hormones raise in a place where people switch and swap partners over trivial things such as is he hotter than him and is so and so dating so and so. Boundless drama that Zig never found anything interesting out of, all the girls they are dumber than a box of nails. That's what initially drew him to Zoe. And for the record, girls like Frankie in a place like the ravine is not a place for her. Zig wishes that Miles had that much of a protective nature to rescue, or protect her enough to see what she's doing could hurt her and she would not be ready to know what to do.

His mother just looked at him, he had zoned out with all the thoughts buzzing through his mind. He had smoked a bowl in the car before he eventually came home. He took a remote route home where it was almost impossible for anyone to find him. Zoe actually joined him and smoked a bit more but she doused herself in Britney Spears' Fantasy before he led her back to her house where they shared another kiss at her front porch. Zig hoped that now if her mother saw her hair when she returned home or saw her as she walked upstairs to her room. Let's just say they had a lot of fun in Zig's car in the inhabited ravine. They made out longer than he had ever been before, eventually he had to come up for air to drink, to pee or because he managed to pop a boner and felt bad and ran into the bathroom trying to get himself calmed back down so he could only woefully continue on and kind of dissociate from the thing all together. It wasn't that he didn't like Tori it's just she controlled every aspect of the relationship and he rarely took her to do things that he liked because he was always doing what she was into. So he spent a lot of time thinking as they sloppily made out, their inexperienced sneaking around tactic was awkward in the Santamaria household. Tori's dad was a police officer for the town and her mother was a stay at home pageant mom. She'd often brag about how many titles she once won from her years as a pageant queen. She virtually was living vicarious through her daughter and although she never confided in him about her relationship with her mother he got this feeling that there was always some disconnect. She was not the daughter her mother wanted her to be but at the same time she still wanted to please her but it was a constant uphill battle. Her parents really didn't like Zig, they didn't mind him, they thought he was harmless but then he was banned from the house after he cheated on her for making his daughter cry over a broken heart they tooted their horn and took all the credit that they got her through that. So even though they stayed friends it wasn't the same, it was more awkward than they ever were while they were actually romantically involved. It was like meeting a new person. Soon after, she explained she was moving, her dad was getting promoted to higher rank and the family had to go with him. They were gone within weeks, their house was new it sold almost instantaneously. Sold to a hockey player, he passes by it sometimes. He had a lot of good memories there, he will miss them. The Santamaria's despite their flaws did like him, and did things for him like bought him clothes during the holiday's and invited him and his mother over for thanksgiving. A lot of people don't know that stuff about them. They were the good kind of rich person, someone who still treats the poor like humans.

Zig smiled at his mom, which uplifted him with a sense of relief that she wasn't talking about his drug use, right in front of her he was high. He already at the mirror by the door checked his eyes and saw they weren't red, he didn't have cotton mouth but his intensifying paranoia says that would soon before otherwise. He responded with, "I'd like that."

"That's good, I want to be able to contribute to your future so I'm going to put some money away, sales have actually been favorably better than last quarter. We will be able to afford to put money away for something. Maybe that's a trip, I know you wanted to go to France but maybe if we save enough we could do things together. What do you say?"

Zig couldn't think of anything besides, "Thanks, Mom. You're the best." He leaned over the table and hugged her tight.

"Just one thing, Zig." She struggled with how to put what she was going to say, he could tell she was thinking how gently or how brashly she could say what was on her mind, "all day long, I've been thinking about when I saw you at the store and, please don't freak out . . are you working somewhere and I don't know about it?"

"I'm dealing drugs, technically I'm a pack-mule at large but I make commission and money that I'm regularly paid by my boss and -"

"Zig . . . " Her face wrinkled, taken back by the revelation of her son's secret life he had hidden from her over the past few months, and over the summer.

"It's not the hard stuff though, I promise. It's like it's dirt quality the cheapest out there marked up, it's dirt weed and if I ask around if someone requests it I get them pills, but they're not fucking real they're sugar pills."

"So you're scamming them too."

"The _placebo_ effect!" He exclaimed, "They wouldn't know the difference. Not one of my clients has said anything other wise."

That being said, Zoe has bought, sugar-pills from Zig under the premise they were pain killers. He was saving people. Only if she knew she would likely never speak to him again. He would keep this to himself, for sure. For awhile, Zig went on and on and on about how he's doing the world a favor by selling because he's getting money, no one asks questions, he has it under control, he has clients and everything is fine. He also went on to say that

"Well then, I guess you have it all under control."

Crestfallen, he made a face as she lept out of her chair and turned her back to him facing the cabinets and the sink. He turned in her direction, and stood up, "Mom," he relented, "I just - I didn't want you to worry about this. It's why I kept it all a secret. I knew you wouldn't understand."

"It shouldn't have come to that, you could've gotten that girl on your own merit not from what you sold her, ding-dong."

Zig didn't look at her, and shook his head pursing his lip deep in thought, "I did it for us. No, I did. We have a real relationship we talk, about everything only . . not about my business."

"If you want to contribute I can't say no." His mother said turning around pointing her finger, "What I can say is you had better be careful. There's no way I could bail you out of jail if something happened to you. This is why the education is so important to me. I didn't have those opportunities as an immigrant. You, Zig are a first generation Canadian. You - you just didn't have to go through what me and your father did." She playfully ruffled his uppercut and offered him a smile.

"So, I can _still_ sell?"

"Yes, now that I know what you're selling I suppose." She answered looking at him skeptically, "Besides, I can't really fault you for it. Plus, weed's harmless. I did it myself."

"Shut up."

"In university, back in Russia. Until I got thrown out because my parents could no longer pay tuition." She offered a wry smile, "it was fun, I lived with a bunch of other girls and I met your father there. I actually lived in the boys dormitories secretly. Mama knows how to have fun in her heyday."

Zig couldn't see, he just snickered, his first real laugh in a while. He missed talking to his mother, learning about her life and she learning about his life has been sort of eye-opening experience to how cool she is. He would've never expected to walk into a sight like that. Although he finds it hard to believe his mom was ever a teenager. What a gas.

. . .

Zoe tried countless times to fall asleep, she had managed by the skin of her teeth to enter the house undetected, climb all the way up her _creaky _wooden steps and creep into her bed ever so easily and now she struggles to sleep. With the lights off and the house with her mother and Curtis in bed, fucking and it seemed like they hadn't stopped or come up for air in a while. It disgusted her, how he was disappointed with her performance and yet goes and cozies up to her mother to use her some. She tried to put the pillow over her face as she turned around in bed and sighed groaning quietly, "Why?"

Even with the pillow covering her ears she still managed to hear the bed pounding against her wall that her bed shared in common with the master bedroom. She was just hoping it would be all over soon, judging by the sounds of her mother it seemed like perhaps it was the climax and it would be all downhill from here. She heard him moan out loud, loud much like she did and she let out a scream like some slutty sorority girl. She heard the bed move as she overheard them talking.

Curtis jumped out of bed and instantly searched for his underwear and pulled his pants off the side of the bed that they hadn't defecated with their bodies during their loveless ecstasy-filed escapades. He pulled them on, re-attached his belt, struggled a bit to close his buttons and zip up his pants due to his chubby physique. It had to have been a sight to see, an attractive knockout like Ms. Rivas getting with a twenty-something slimy fella. He put back on his dress shirt and was buttoning it as Zoe's mother threw her hair in a high bun and fetched her robe off the hanger by the door. With her foot she moved a towel from the bedroom floor to block the door a bit.

"Wait a minute." She said seductively, slipping her robe on. He turned his attention to her, as he dug in his pockets for his cigarette, she responded with, "Please, hence the towel. I don't want Zoe to smell." Zoe shook her head rolling her ever-expressive eyes as she overheard that statement. She presumed that her mother didn't think she was home. Heck she probably checked the house for her before they went ahead and decided to have loud sex in the next room over or, perhaps they didn't care.

The two lit up a cigarette and they exhaled after they had been finally ignited. He sighed sitting down on the bed, "I guess there's something you should know, Elaine."

"Its Alaina."

"Whatever," He answered, sucking down his cigarette snickering, "I've never slept with both a mother and a daughter."

Alaina looked at him wrinkling her brow, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," He looked up at her devilishly as he stood still, her expression was red with anger, "I _slept_ with your daughter and then afterward you. Ms. Rivas I'll have you know there's no job on the line, the girl aint getting a second chance. There you have it." His hands up as she went for his face with her open palm.

In her defeat she just exasperated, said quietly as she walked toward him, "You _pig_, get the fuck out of my house." She pointed to the door, calmly not fully showing the full force of her anger, "I don't _ever_ want to see you again!"

"That's not what you were saying earlier, Alaina. You were _begging_ for me. I thought you'd _like_ something kinky like that."

She shook her head and spat crossing her arms to her chest, "Not _that_ kind of kinky, pervert. Besides, that's different."

He finished dressing as he got up off the couch not talking to her, then she thought again to her daughter, he turned around to look at her once more, "You _better_ keep your distance if you know what's good for you, that is."

When she just looked at her angrily, he managed to snicker disgustingly and sort of shrugged it off, as he walked to the desk with his briefcase, he picked it up and opened it revealing he had taken off the kitchen table her head shot and other things, "She'll never work in this town again. So next time you better be open to hanging out with your legs open from here on out." She was wide-eyed like a deer in the headlights, "You'll do what I say from here on out, I'm that diva daughter of yours. You listen to me if you want her to work. She'll get these back, when I see she wants to make the effort. When you decide to apologize, call me. I'll be expecting you." And with that, he turned around and left out the door. Zoe heard every word, she cried into her pillow holding her teddy bear tight as she fell asleep, crying herself to sleep once again. Her mother, Alaina was left dumbfounded she fell onto the bed as Curtis left the house.


	11. Revealing

**Eleven**

Revealing

Zoe heard the alarm on her phone ring for school but just managed to turn over to the other side clicking snooze. She had debated whether she was going to actually come to school. Faking sick sounded about good for the day she could only imagine getting worse. At least she had a few beacons of hope in her new flirtation with Zig and the audition for this afternoon.

She groaned apathetically, she hadn't slept much that night between her mom, the secret, Zig and Curtis being over it made it pretty hard to turn her mind off of all of it. She was up most of the night trying sleep, but sleep not coming her way. Her mom shuffled in the room, opening the front door uncomfortably while her daughter faced the wall. Sheepishly she turned on the light.

"Didn't you hear your alarm?" Zoe responded by remaining immobile, she didn't move, just she mumbled that she didn't, but that was a lie.

Most days Alaina wouldn't know the difference, but she just stayed put. She was left with one conclusion, she had to be emotionally available today and the first step was simple, she decided to sit on her daughter's bed. She leaned over and ruffled her daughter's bed head smoothly which was something she almost never did; not since Zoe was was little before the fame and the money. For once, she was acting like a caring parent. It sounded in her voice that she had cried or sleeping just about as good as her daughter the night before, "I need to have a _serious_ talk with you."

"At seven-thirty in the morning? _No thank-you_." The girl grumbled in response, she obviously wasn't a morning person. With her hand she reached for and then threw the nearest pillow over her head and pouted, still not facing her mom. She expected some conversation about the revelations of the night before were coming but she wanted to prolong them as soon as possible. She didn't want to talk and she didn't want to try, the bridge had been burned a long time ago and at this rate all she wanted was to cling on those last moments of sleep that her mom snatched away from her.

The woman just sighed, shaking her head, "I _want_ to try."

Zoe turned around to face her, "Well I guess now, you know about what I tried to do to keep my job."

Her mom just looked at her and sighed, nodding. It was unclear if she had been disgusted but Zoe was disgusted with herself more than anyone could be disgusted with what she had done. Yes, she walked into his house but anything that happened after shouldn't have been her fault. Zig blamed him, that as an adult _Curtis_ should have known better. Zoe needed to be convinced with that or the guilt would simply eat at her for the rest of her life.

Alaina finally spoke taking a deep breath and speaking with compassion, "But Zoe, that wasn't _your_ thing to do, dear. I had got you into that mess." She implied in the past she had to 'pull some strings' for her daughter's career to blossom as far as she did in the ranks of _Westdrive_. Her mom, in the past had been in a position of power in legal work but as Zoe's paychecks rose the less she needed to work.

She never thought that her daughter was being preyed on, truthfully she had turned a blind eye to anything of the _Westdrive_ machine, even she felt like a supporting role in her daughter's life. More or less, she trusted the people who worked there. They basically raised her, not Alaina. She's been out a lot lately, she thinks Zoe is failing to notice and not just to interviews and meetings. However, Zoe does and as much as she'll say she doesn't mind, what she wants is someone supportive by her side. A stark disconnect between them, and the reality partly because Zoe was the only person bringing home a paycheck and now no one is, and her daughter's future is on the line in both acting and in their real life dynamic.

Zoe shrugged, "You don't get it though, but _whatever_. It's like you think _I_ wanted to do _that_, with _him_."

"What are you talking about? What don't I get? That my daughter slept her way -" She shook her head, "I _know_ that's not you."

"None of that! I swear!" Zoe exclaimed finally sat up, shouting, "Has it ever occurred to you, I . . I _didn't_ want to. I just - didn't _really_ have much of a choice? Do you know me at all? Do you have any _faith_ in me?"

"How do _you_ figure? _You_ went over his house -" Alaina shouted back defensively.

"He told me that he had _good_ ideas, _alternative_ ideas for Gatsby, it was an offer I couldn't really be like no I thought it was innocent enough going into it. I guess that I'm stupid, I'm a dumb kid. Plus, Curtis has always been nice to all of us on set - "

"Pervert." Her mother sneered shaking her head, "I knew he was looking at the _girls_."

"He had poured the wine, I drank. Even though I didn't want to," Zoe looked down at her shaking hands, "I let him if I knew I would be off the hook. My character would resume and everything would've been fine."

Her mom just wasn't happy, but she had to accept things as they were. After-all, Zoe learned everything she observed from her mother, but at the same time it's that bittersweet knowledge that worried her. She got up off the bed and told her daughter what's up in the daily drama, "Curtis is blackmailing me. And he took your audition stuff because he doesn't want you to work. Everything is sort of murky."

"I heard." Zoe said bravely before getting up and looking through her closet for something to wear, "I'm going to audition. I have the monologue memorized."

Alaina smiled proudly, "Break a leg." Although Zoe wasn't convinced that her mother would follow through, she still refused to rock the boat. It was likely the nicest thing that happened between them in years. It's a start.

. . .

Zig walked into school like any other day, he had slept pretty well unlike most nights. Instead, he simply just walked into the corridor of the hallway and went to his locker and saw Zoe there. Even Zoe was in a better mood, she clutched her books to her chest and with her free hand offered by extending her hand, "Walk me to class?"

Zig smiled happily, he took her hand in his. He did let go briefly to go into his locker. She pulled out her money, as he pulled out his books and he turned to her, "I don't know if I could sell to you anymore."

Her smile faded, concerned she spoke, "Why?"

"I don't know, I just - I _worry_ about you."

"Do you _not_ have it?"

A smile played on his lips as he pulled it out of his pocket in the baggie, tightly, he clenched his fist around it. She smiled too, they made the quick trade-off and Zig shut his locker, and hand in hand they walked to their class together.

. . .

Overall, the day had gone remarkably well, they went to their classes, got coffee after school they managed to ease their way into the empty teacher's lounge undetected for her to get a free coffee before they walked into the auditorium. As the list came around, she jotted her name down first. She wanted to get it over with. She had taken the other half of the pill and she felt ready.

Ms. Kwan seated up front and Zig sticking by her for support despite the gaggle of looks the pair garnered throughout the day for their questionable romantic status. He tried to ignore it because the truth was he was so happy, but of course he remained that stone cold façade that everyone still expects him to be. Not one person has asked about Zoe, but he knows people are talking. For all he cared, he just let them think what they want. Zoe is an awesome person, and any of them are simply wrong. He didn't care about the persona or the actress in her or the fame and glory, because he knew Zoe for who she really is and for that, he couldn't feel anything but joy and pride to see her up on stage, in her element doing what she loves.

"Zoe Rivas, do you have sheet music?"

"Yes." Ms. Oh had agreed to play piano for the auditions so she was seated right of the stage at the piano, still lingering from yesterday were the other slew of instruments. Zoe was never a musician but she knew she could carry a tune. She wasn't ideally a singer but she wanted to try. She decided to sing, a song from _Grease_, which was appropriate. She decided to sing Worst Things I Could Do the song of her dream role.

Ms. Oh looked to Zoe, "Ready?"

She nodded, standing center stage with the microphone. She sang the song with emotion not over the top but sung all the while, she zoned out in the moment not looking for anyone particular in the audience. When it was over she received a loud applause. As she sat down afterward next to Zig as she made her way through the crowd, she got a bunch of great jobs and other kind words. Beside, Zig he graced her with a kiss on the cheek, "I know you heard it down the aisle but great audition."

"Thank-you." She beamed, she wasn't sure if she had this audition in the bag but damn near close.

. . .

As promised the character list went up a few hours after auditions. Everyone was itching to know who they would be portraying in Degrassi's adaption of _Grease_. Becky Baker not looking at the paper delivered the verdict onto the bulletin board in the hall, she blindly she tacked it there. Finally she was able to look at the paper, looking to see where she had placed. Seconds later, she jubilantly jumped up and down in celebration, "I got Sandy!"

A gaggle of girls, Imogen included ran to her and hugged her tightly congratulating her the room chattered as more people stepped in to see, Imogen excitedly skipped as she saw her role and ran off as they disappeared down the hall. A bunch of others, including Maya and Tristan, he even had the nerve to roll his eyes at his role, and ask to no one in particular, "Who the hell is _Putzie_?" But that trio ran down the hall. Zig got a few congratulations but she and Zig were in the back awaiting the big reveal, he assumed he was cast but he didn't expect anything. Zoe bit her lip impatiently hearing all the positive reactions. Zig finally seized an opportunity after a space in time where no one walked by, his name was listed first next to Danny. He turned to Zoe and lifted her up off the ground spinning around she giggled in air as they spun for a few minutes, "We both are cast. I just didn't see the name of your character. . "

As Zig let her down safely on the ground, Zoe finally scrambled to face the music and saw her role, "Marty Maraschino." She said out loud as she read it her smile faded from her face. She said it once more, but it hadn't sunk in. She was quite possibly the only one in Drama Club let down, she halfheartedly looked over at Zig and walked toward him, "I didn't get it."

"Who did?" Zig asked.

She looked down sadly before speaking, "Maya." She scoffed, "Maya wins _yet_ again."


	12. I Heart You

**Twelve**

I Heart You

Zig and Zoe decided to celebrate getting into the school musical together by going halfsies on the bill at The Dot. They decided split a Panini with truffle fries and Zoe got another coffee, Zig looked at her worriedly and concerned. She didn't look like her usual self, he simply chalked that up to her misery of not getting the role of her choice. Although he had a feeling she was still affected by Curtis but he refused to ask her outright. Additionally, he was afraid to ask about how the rest of evening went and he kept tight-lipped about his interaction with his mother, the truth about the pain-killers and other things. He didn't want to spoil it, or anything, things were going smoothly. Besides, he knew Zoe had her own dealings to _privately_ deal with some he knew about and others he didn't. He didn't want to burden her. He didn't want to ruin how just a simple cup of coffee brought her so much joy.

They instantly tensed up as they both observed Miles and Maya walk in behind them through the front door. Zoe didn't really care so much about Miles or what he thought as she did Maya she put on a brave face. However Maya was unnerved by Zoe which made her even more angry. It just confused her, how could someone she hates not even care. Yet she had initially hated Miles more. The feeling was mutual with him, but not with Maya. While Maya has sort of gotten over the fact that her and Zoe would never be friends, Zoe had no real ammunition for the blonde aside from her malcontent with the circumstances that be, that _she of all people_ got the role she had dreamed about since she fell in the love _Grease_ years ago. However Maya was good to a fault, she did deserve to receive a leading role people knew of her talents but Zoe really wanted something special for herself. She tried to lurk around after practice and talk to Ms. Kwan but she couldn't find her. She decided that there was nothing she could really do about it for now.

"Hey, looks like we'll be seeing a lot of each other, huh Zoe?" Maya said kindly as she walked to a table but saw her old friend Zig and even though she had no ill-feelings for Zoe so it seemed. "You know, since you'll be in the musical and all, you two Zig."

Zig nodded in response, sidetracked as he awkwardly chewed on a french fry and reached for his drink. He offered an awkward wave with the other hand but really didn't want to be there, mentally available at that time. He was enjoying his time alone with Zoe and they had to go trash the fun. He hadn't much to say to them, but he didn't want to rock the boat with the sudden kindness shared. He hadn't heard a peep out of Miles, and he hoped it stayed that way. It was mostly Maya making nice, which he didn't exactly have a problem with - at least she was speaking to them at all.

Zoe couldn't help but see Maya holding hands with her trophy, Miles much to the seated couple's chagrin. Neither of them liked Miles after the home room debacle, Zig outright was unaffected until the billionaire bad boy would make a comment perhaps. Zig deeply felt as if Miles was only going to hurt her and throw her out to dry when he was ready to get rid of her for someone else. Trade in the old model for a new one and the other one would be left heartbroken. He's seen it before with other people, he just didn't want that for Maya but at least he could still reach Frankie before it was too late. Out of place, and yet entertained by the run in Miles sheepishly grinned a phony little grimace at the two of them as if to think he saw right through them. Zoe rolled her expressive eyes when she saw his mannerisms that incessantly drive her up the wall with hatred and contempt and Miles just looked at the ground rather pleased with himself.

They both shrugged, finding the entire meeting awkward, "Yeah, of course," she said.

"So, I was thinking people are due for some celebration. Congratulations, Zig, you got the lead role." Miles said nodding turning his attention to Zoe, "Not too shabby for _you_ too, Zoe."

For some reason Zoe really couldn't buy Miles' sugary sweet backhanded sounding compliments as anything genuine or nice, taken like a grain of salt both Zoe and Zig put no stock into it. However with Maya inherently, she actually wasn't _being_ phony, she was being _genuine_. The girl truthfully, hadn't a bad bone in her body and she really and truly wanted to be civil with both Zoe and Zig.

Any effort she had ever put into being a bitch, is just overshadowed by her innate ability to just be Mary Sunshine Marcia Brady immediately feeling crippling guilt afterwards. She rarely thinks before she speaks but when she's being deliberately bitchy she uses the worst most damaging ammunition, manipulation by saying something indirect. Usually, it just makes people not like her, it's a trite attempt and it only is sure to bring her misery. Not to say she hasn't been a bitch before, namely to Zig when she turned her back on him and he never saw that coming. It was surely a shock to see her at the school dance with a new guy. He knew they didn't talk over the summer, he just thought he was doing right by them and giving her space and didn't smother things until the ground settled. He guessed that, maybe it was him she wasn't interested in. He let her go, and with that his feelings of her too even the bad ones all but become indifferent to him in comparison.

In unison hoping their lack of enthusiasm to the couple was enough to deter them from staying around any longer to serve as constant reminders of the past "Thanks, I guess."

Maya halfheartedly looked once more at Zoe, causing her to snap at it, "Excuse me, Maya? Don't you have your own boyfriend to flirt with."

She was taken back, she was trying to be nice, not flirt. Besides, she did have her own boyfriend and she most certainly became offended and enraged, her upper lip rose and her eyebrow cocked, she stepped in front but Miles, like the last time Maya almost flew off the handle, Miles attempted to pull her back, "Fine, look, I was just _trying_ to be nice."

"Well go be nice where we can't see you." Zoe called back, causing Maya to walk off in a huff before calling to Miles, "Come on." She took one last Zig and shook her head before finally walking with Miles to a table clear across the café so they could successfully avoid them. Zoe grabbed her coffee and downed it, she couldn't help but see Zig looking at her, "I hate them."

Zig just offered her a hopeful smile, shrugging his shoulders, "I don't know, she seemed actually sincere but him? No way. He's scum."

"I'm just upset with her, sometimes I think I'd like to be friends with her but . . I don't trust her. I just wish she wouldn't try to -"

"I get it, you're territorial."

"Over what?"

"Things." Zig answered, because in truth there were a lot of things that Zoe feels as if she has a claim on. Heck, even Zig thinks Zoe has a mental attachment to him and in some ways that's true in matters of the heart. However, Zig can't help but find it unnerving that if she's dating him is she still thinking about Miles or does her rivalry with Maya about more than just that. Does it have to do with him? And if so, what did that really mean for them. She made a face and he just laughed it off beaming, "You're over Miles, right?"

Zoe was taken back, but she answered truthfully, "Of course. I was over it, for a while I just, I hate her for acting like none of that ever happened. Girls aren't like guys, they're catty backstabbing bitches. I've known a ton of girls."

"Are you?"

"No . . "

"But, you said that's how girls are."

"To each other, but I don't want to be. I know Gatsby was underhanded, but I just would like to play around, live through her I didn't mean harm by it but for some reason on-screen I guess it was the scripts made it like her behavior was rewarded as opposed to punished. Often there are things if I did them at Degrassi for instance I would've been suspended or worse, expelled over. Not to mention would it call to question my morality because I had sex with my boyfriend at prom on _Westdrive_, please. I thought you'd know me better by now."

Zig sighed, "I just, I really like you and I feel like I had to ask if you were over him. I'm just glad you are, because he's so horrible. I hated what he did in home room, honestly if it weren't against the rules I would've thrown him into a wall. Zoe, I like, I can't even put into words what I feel for you. I just, I don't want you to trash Maya, even though we're not friends anymore it doesn't mean that I hate her, would you promise to cut your ties with whatever you have planned to do to her?"

Zoe gave it thought, if she ignored them she would feel better but she was happy that Zig was around and he liked her, and she liked him too and all he wanted was for everyone to get along for the most part she was willing to be okay with that. Besides, regardless of it, she hadn't any plans to be nice to Maya since the songwriting fiasco in music class but she found this spunk and respect about the blonde that made her believe there was potential stored her yet. Like Maya had mentioned before, they were sure to see a lot of them, and even though the hatred for Miles between he and Zoe was strong and still present they weren't going to rock and ruffle anyones feathers at least for now because the hatchet needed to buried to end the bullshit in that square of a romantic nature. Sometimes, he feels he too is living within an episode of _Westdrive_.

. . .

They drove to the ravine, and made out in his car for a few hours. The windows were foggy as the condensation melted from the cool outdoors but the hot interior of his car. The radio lulled faintly in the background as they took to the backseat, sharing body heat and sensual sides of them within their relationship. She was underneath him, her hair brushed to the side keeping her hair out of his face as they submerged themselves into one another. Finally Zig, pulled away and sort of sat up causing Zoe to adjust herself as she pulled up with her knees to kiss him, in a tight embrace while sitting up before she tackled him as they erupted into yet another makeout session. He pulled away, looking at Zoe, entranced in her beauty and her heartfelt passionate kisses, "You're amazing."

She beamed adjusting her long brown hair behind her ear falling back onto the passenger door while sighing dramatically, "How so?"

"Well, you're talented, you're a great listener and you - you kiss like that." He beamed, "You're just all around amazing. I feel like the luckiest guy in the world."

"Then, I must be the luckiest girl in the world." She answered flirtatious planting him with a kiss on his cheek, sitting up again causing him to envelop her in more kisses in a trail from her neck down to her shoulder causing her to giggle and gasp for air. She couldn't help but look at the windows that seemed to get more and more foggy as they took to them and Zoe with her finger began drawing things in them. She wrote her name and then a heart and then his name and giggled, pointing, "Look Zig."

He cocked his head and admired her work of art on his car window and wrote beside it while saying, "I heart you too."

She turned her attention to him, holding him against her body and lying her round head in his shoulder against the buckle of his leather jacket where she could still hear the beatings of his heart going quick from all the tension between them fooling around in his car in the woods. He leaned down and planted the top of her head with a kiss, "I heart you too." She said reaching for his hand and squeezing it tightly as she moved her head from his shoulder and looked into his eyes pulling him in for another kiss.


	13. Truce

Thirteen

**Truce**

It's been a few weeks since that faithful day when Zoe found out that she wouldn't be acting as the production's Betty Rizzo, and somehow she manged to believe that, in her heart of hearts she was fine with that.

Miles and Maya were obviously to her made for each other, as far as she had this air of concern as far as she was concerned _they_ belonged in _that_ love story, not her. Rizzo and Kenickie, Maya and Miles respectively. She could never masquerade that she had _real_ romantic feelings for Miles on stage in front of people. Not when she _hated_ him as much as she did. For she and Zig, the feeling's simply mutual. It wasn't all the young couple agreed on, they mostly agreed on one another. Zoe just simply hated to know she had been played for a fool by both of them and she would not let that die without a fight.

Over the past few weeks, however, Zoe's mischief lives on.

She had been playing trivial pranks on the girl, misplacing her costumes and props, once, she cut up a dress. No one knows it's her. Her need to see Maya miserable simply increased. Zoe's personal favorite was coming in purposefully in a scene where she wasn't scripted to do so just to annoy her. It's child's play, she did all the time when she worked at _Westdrive_ when she had been faced in a situation of an actress she didn't like. It's hard when she's a girl who used to perfection or getting whatever she wanted, when she suddenly doesn't what comes of it, what becomes of her?

Sure, it annoyed others too who just wanted to get through a scene but Zoe knew when to do it to make it look as if it were some sort of accident or she stupidly wasn't following along.

Zoe was rather pleased with herself that day though, considering that Maya wasn't at practice at all. The more Maya would call her vile pranks out to Ms. Kwan the less credibility Maya had and people told her to stop being melodramatic and just calm down.

Becky called out, "We're going to have to go over the sleep over sequence this week, because our _Rizzo_ isn't here, however she might be back near the end of practice Ms. Kwan is going to read for her."

"From what part?" Zoe asked holding her script reading through the scene to find where she would start.

Ms. Kwan got up on the stage and sat on the prop bed, where the other girls joined her. Alright, Imogen we're starting with you.

Imogen was playing Jan, she was perfectly quirky enough for it to work, she changed things up in the script from making fun of a toothpaste commercial she did something childlike by playing with her Barbie's on the bed, pretending the Ken was asking the Barbie out, or two female Barbie's were having a fist fight it was comedic and it worked. Completely changed every practice until someone decided if whatever dialogue was better and then she would keep that joke in.

Miles leaned over to Zig from back stage both watching and whispered, clearly he was not exactly ecstatic and yet matter of factually, "My girlfriend _dragged_ me into this play. I did it to make her happy."

Zig shrugged uninterested in conversations with chump Miles he thought his demeanor was enough to get him to leave him alone, "I think it's _pretty_ fun."

Miles continued, and looked at him, "Duh, because you're a musician."

"So is _she_." Zig answered back straight talking about Maya, not exactly looking at Miles and just watching the girls act on stage, namely Zoe who during a break in dialogue, looked up at him and smiled before getting back to her script.

Suddenly, the stage doors opened with a lot of force and in walked in a fiery, angry, petite blond on a breakaway. She wanted to know where Miles was, "Miles come out, come out wherever you are?" She sounded sickening sweet. The women on stage just watched, although Ms. Kwan stood up and shouted, "Maya! We were in the middle of a scene!"

She had interrupted everyone, everyone looked at Maya but they couldn't say a word Miles awkwardly and yet laden with holiness came out from back stage and stood by the bed on stage after revealing himself. Maya jumped up to his level, she hoisted herself up somehow and was at his level. She started hitting him, no one really understand what was going on, "You disgusting pig, how could you?"

Ms. Kwan tried, unsuccessfully to break the two of them up as she pushed him around and yelled obscenities at him. After the, _I hate yous,_ the _how could yous _and the _fuck-you's_ eventually Maya fighting back tears as she inched herself away from him as he helplessly tried to get her to stop whatever she had said, "We're through, Miles."

She shook her head, hysterical crying as people tried to console her and he actually seemed like he was broken-hearted himself. She didn't want anyone to touch her, the other girls could tell as she tried to pull away all you heard was her echo like she had been tortured as she walked out of the auditorium, "I gotta go. I GOTTA GO!"

What could they possibly do? They let her go.

Zoe couldn't stand idly by, what exactly happened? She looked to Miles but he just stood stock still on the ground. He looked down, and then he just looked square at Zoe, she looked ahead to Maya's exit spot, and she followed her out the auditorium doors, and she quickly saw her come through of the front doors. Zoe had to say this, she couldn't leave this just be, not when she knew she played a role, somehow in her anger. She was going to tell her the truth, it was her who said all those horrible, horrible things about her, and it was her who played the horrible pranks on her just because she was being petty and angry.

"Just leave me alone, haven't you caused enough damage." Maya called out seeing someone behind her, knowing exactly who followed her out the doors, the kitten heels made a sound as they hit the pavement giving her away, "Zoe, I-I will kill you if you don't stop following me."

"Where you going to go, Maya?" Zoe never relented, in fact as Maya accelerated, so did she. She was behind her, Maya could feel her breath on her neck as she was straight booking it,

"I'm warning you, Zoe. I'm not in the fucking mood." Maya surprised her and turned around, but as she was about to turn back around, Zoe called out to her to wait and hear her out.

"Maya wait." Zoe pursed her lips impatiently, admitting she was wrong and therefore letting out things she didn't want to, "don't be mad at him, it's not his fault."

"I guess the _jokes_ on me, right? Finally find a guy, you know one that wouldn't _use_ me to cheat on his girlfriend, one that _hadn't_ fucking killed himself. None of that was enough for you, you still wanted to destroy _everything_." Maya screamed practically at the top of her lungs, "I fucking surrender, Zoe you can fucking stop now?!"

Zoe felt horrible, truthfully she has felt horrible for a long time, since the Curtis incident but she had a revelation on her own. Maya was hysterical and on edge, Zoe was terribly afraid, but what Maya was saying was crazy talk. Things she didn't come close to understanding, things she never even bothered to know about the girl standing before her, crying because of her, something that she had done and she never felt more helpless and wordless about anything in her life. Zoe Rivas, good for a comeback or two couldn't say a thing.

I hate you so much, Zoe. I hate you!" Maya grumbled kicking a stone not even close to calm in her demeanor, Zoe wished that stone was her because that would mostly follow what Zoe would have to say, "Fine, talk! You have five minutes and it _better_ be good."

"It's me."

Maya looks up confusedly at Zoe, as Zoe just gives up her fight, her nerve and the courage to tell the blonde girl standing before her. "Yep, so get your revenge, Maya. I don't care anymore." Maya's reaction was just skeptical, she cocked her eyebrow, her mouth gaping wide, as the girl continued, "I know you are pissed. Rightfully so."

"Tell everyone if it makes you feel better. Better yet tell _everyone_, I'm sick of this crap. I'm sick of the fighting. I don't even _like_ Miles anymore. I- I just it's my fault, okay?"

"What's there to tell, Zoe? My boyfriend, my boyfriend . . gave me . . a."

"A disease." Zoe finishes her sentence for her causing Maya to scream out angrily as she sobbed, Zoe inched closer but surveyed the damage.

Maya says nothing, for a long time. Zoe has no choice but the continue, "I gave it to him. If you didn't come storming in here, I would've never known too." Maya just sobs uncontrollably not saying a damn word, Zoe inches even closer to her close enough to her that hugging her close to her wasn't so much as a reach. A real hug. Not one where Zoe was plotting evil but a real enough hug that even Maya surrendered her anger filled and exhausted mind going a mile a minute.

Maya and her tear-stained face looked up at her embarrassed and sheepishly, "Why are you being so _nice_ to me? Why'd you follow me? You hate me, _remember_?"

Zoe shrugged calmly pursing her lips together, "Us girls, we should be sticking together not constantly at odds."

"If you don't mind me asking," Maya asked breaking from the hug, "what _exactly_ happened?"

"It's a long story."

"No way am I coming back to practice, not today, not after the scene I pulled." Maya answered, offering Zoe a compassionate smile.

"You drive a hard bargain, as you well know I got fired from _Westdrive_. Before that I wanted to keep my job, I covered all the bases. Some bases, not really my true choice but I did it anyway. He guess he left _me_ with a bit of a surprise." Zoe avoided her eyes, remaining a solid front she coughed before rejoining her eyes to Maya, her hands in her pockets of her slacks, "Chlamydia, right? No symptoms."

"I was surprised, Miles said he had only been with o-"

"Me, I-in Paris, we had sex." Zoe answered, "I was stupid, I thought he loved me, I honestly didn't know . . that _I_ had it."

"We'll go together." Maya said, finishing up her last word, wiping the tears from her raccoon eyes, "to the clinic."

Friends? Repaired? Anything was possible but for now the hatchet has been buried as the two decided they no longer wanted to fight. Zoe offered her hand, Maya gleefully as possible took it too, "So this war . . between us."

Zoe asked pretending to be perplexed, "What war?"

"Consider it done." Maya looked to Zoe in response, the brunette nodded in agreement as the two girls left to the clinic hand in hand.


	14. Face Off

Fourteen

Face Off

Zig walked out of the theatre and saw Zoe with her arm around Maya in a comforting embrace walking toward Zig's car in the school parking lot. He figured they had made up. He was happy for them. He was aware they didn't see him follow them out and that was fine, he was fine with everything.

Just as they reached the car, Miles with some speed started to jog from the auditorium exit past Zig but to impulsively stop him, he grabbed his arm forcing Miles to a stop and an unceremonious fall to the ground, "What the fuck, dude?" He asked flailing about embarrassed, what they didn't know was an audience had formed within the windows of the school on out of the auditorium exit.

In anger Miles thrashed about shaking his head, muttering, "I don't even know just happened back there?" He snicker his face reddened, "Did my girlfriend really dump me?"

He dusted himself off, his precious shoes were of course unscathed, and he had a few minor scrapes but nothing a trust fund couldn't fix. Zig said nothing, watching Maya back out of the parking spot with Zoe in tow. He could only assume that Maya could drive unlike Zoe, but he just felt strange all over the notion of Maya and Zoe spending time together. He still didn't like Miles.

So what if the secret was out. So what if the man who is blackmailing Zoe's mother, whom she also lost her virginity to give her an STD – at least the girls weren't at odds anymore. It doesn't mean that Miles would ever be off the hook. Zig looked beside him once more shrugging with a snicker, "You might want to get tested."

Miles didn't think that was funny, as he stood up hulking behind him, attempting to get his footing, questioning angrily he spat, "What did you just say to me?"

Zig turned around now facing the guy who he held so much contempt for. From a far the raven-haired boy held a grudge so deep because he wished he had Miles' girl but now he has a girl of his own, Zoe who he cares deeply about and the feeling is mutual yet – he still hates the guy because of the way _he_ is. Miles isn't sweet, or kind, or supportive to anyone. He is one big phony, truthfully. His personality is ugly. Zig knew he could beat him; he already knocked him down once today. He wasn't afraid of him. Not in the slightest.

Miles walked toward Zig as the hulking leather jacket clad boy clenched his fists trying hard not to get any more angered, he internally wished that Miles would simply shut his mouth. He didn't know what he was talking about. He kept rattling off stupid things that didn't matter. Zig was largely silent. As Miles walked Zig listened hoping not to cave to any ill words the other boy would say.

"You think I don't know who you are?" Miles snickered as the other boy stood stock-still. Swearing with every step he'd take would be another punch when they finally would come to blows. At this rate, it would occur within any minute, all he needs to do is say the words.

"We've never talked before." Zig grunted testing the water, "not really. You don't want to fight with me."

"You think I don't know all the shit you talk about me?" He asked spitefully, tantalizing Zig to throw the first punch, "You're a pussy, because I'm right here, and you won't punch me. You're a poor little bitch!"

"What so daddy can buy you a new –"?

"You don't know my father!" The fair-haired boy yelled, "I've had it the fuck here with people talking about what they don't know. Besides, if you punch me maybe you will."

"Wouldn't that be a joy?" Zig snickered shaking his head, "and what about you, trust fund boy?"

"What about my trust fund, you going to clock me or not?"

Fed up with this game of cat and mouse Zig clocked him and with the force, the full extension and Zig putting his entire body, anger, everything he had pent-up in the recent months since he saw the schmuck on the arm of Maya they both fell to the ground. You could hear the sound of everyone who was watching collectively gasp.

He wasn't finished.

Much to Miles' dismay, Zig had the advantage; he carried more weight atop Miles as he punched him dozens of times over. Zig sat on Miles' stomach, his fists tore into him, his body covered in bruises and before long his white shirt covered in grass stains. Miles tried blocking but even despite his attempts to fight back and to defend it was no use. Zig ravenous was absolutely fixated on bringing him down. He couldn't stop. He saw blood, coming from his nose as he fixated on his face; he just wanted that smirk to go away, forever. He just kept lobbing punches until all he saw was black. Miles couldn't fight back and he just accepted it, but as he did something wild happened.

Unbeknownst to him Ms. Kwan was outside observing them a moment or less after the first punch was cast and thrown, she raced to them to split them apart with some help from other unknown faculty and school appointed cops. Even though grown adults were pulling both Miles and Zig away from one another Zig screamed at the top of his lungs as he was being pulled from Miles' limp lifeless looking body as Miles grabbed his face in agony and tears. Zig fought to fight him more, he had the thirst for his revenge, he hated Miles and he hated him so much. Zig even was bruised a bit from the meager attempts from Miles to pry him from him, he had managed a few punches but Zig had clearly blacked out "You don't love anyone!"

"Zig, stop it it's going to be okay." Ms. Kwan tried to comfort him but he was able to narrowly escape her until Mr. Armstrong got a hold of him because he was going to back for more of a Miles beat down. He fought back, he wasn't through and he insisted on continuing, even Zig didn't know just how bad he had fucked up. He was fixated on it. He needed to have the last hit. He needed to throw the punch to end it all. He was furious and frightening to everyone around. It was silent as he wrestled his way through Ms. Kwan but she remained persistent.

He boldly exclaimed fiery and angry clearly frustrated, "You're going to hurt her just like you hurt Zoe! So you're right I fucking hate you! I wish you were dead!" The students chanting from inside and in the parking lot yelling FIGHT, FIGHT! but they had no idea themselves what it was all about but the chanting was exactly what kept roaring Zig on.

Mr. Perino was blocking the students view of the big show, after Zig was safely guided away from Miles and the faculty were at work calming him down he guided the students back inside, yelling to them, "Nothing to see, nothing to see. Show is over back inside."

Zig, pleased with himself snickered, his lip was bloody, his clothes littered with blades of grass, his knuckles bruised but he simply could do nothing but hysterically laugh. He triumphed. He won. No one was able to see the damage just yet. Miles was carried away to the nurse office by another faculty member as the other half of the faculty finally led him to where he would be quarantined away from Miles.

. . .

In the clinic, the girls were signed in awaiting their turn and were reading magazines seated side by side, Maya sheepishly kept uncomfortably shifting her eyes at the pretty brunette Zoe who was sort of engrossed in a tabloid story about herself, no less. She shook her head snickering, "Lies, all lies. Maya don't believe in any of the filth you read and _US Weekly_."

Maya uninterested in the tabloid fodder that both interested and irked the starlet, Maya offered Zoe a sympathetic smile and shrugged, whispering closer, "You're _really_ concerned about a tabloid and you're not concerned at all about why we're really here?"

"In fact, I actually feel relieved. It's completely curable. Thanks for the lift, Maya."

"It's not funny, our lives are over. I'm probably grounded for life when this gets back to our family doctor. Our sex lives –"

"Are _still_ in tact. I mean you're still bumpin' and grindin' with Miles? I'm pretty sure my lack of a sex life is one for the ages."

"When you prose it like that it sounds like we're on _Westdrive_."

Zoe snickered shaking her head, as much as she'd love to talk about _Westdrive_ and how she catapulted the show to new heights she was on a roll, "How do you think I found out what I know about all what I know?"

"Zoe, your sex life is the only one in question. Miles was my first, and quite possibly my only."

"Dear, he won't be your only." Zoe shook her head, changing the subject back to Maya, she saw the sneaky trick she tried to pull but she was the opposite of angry, in fact it was nice socializing with another girl in life in real-time, almost all Zoe's friendships began this way they just later ended horribly. "He's yours _now_ but he's not the forever kind of guy, take it from somebody who knows."

Zoe resumed looking at the magazine, attempting to ignore the blondes inquiries on how exactly she acquired Chlamydia, she couldn't help but not want it to be anyone's business but her own and Zig, someone she actually saw a future with.

Maya grimaced at the thought of being single once again she is highly considering the idea of taking Miles back, but not quite so soon. She uncomfortably shifted about struggling to make small talk, "So y-you're dating, Zig, huh?" The brunette looked at the blonde-haired girl and smiled sweetly and genuinely, "That's good, he's really a nice guy. You know, behind all that exterior at least that's how I'll remember him."

"Yeah, he really is."

Call it friendship, call it whatever they finally were on their way to an uncharted territory. A woman with a sheet walked in the waiting area, "Maya and Zoe, the doctor will see you now."

An unconventional start to a friendship, and despite the cat fights, the nasty fights and words that separated the two girls had all but disappeared. Hand in hand, in solidarity and support they made their way to meet the nurse as they followed her through the door.


	15. Family Portrait

**Fifteen**

Family Portrait

Zig walked out of the office sheepishly after getting reamed out by Mr. Simpson, his eyes widened seeing the damage to his arch-enemy. Zig was slapped with a detention and a day out of school suspension. He really didn't care, he knew his mom wouldn't be happy but it was lenient and sort of surprising.

Absent-minded he actually held the door for them seeing as they were about to walk inside. Zig was not exactly paying attention to whom he held it for. He slinked away before Miles even noticed him, but his fight was gone. Zig felt a tinge of guilt as he made his way down the hall as he heard the door shut behind Miles and his father.

To be blunt, Miles looked like crap. He looked barely recognizable. Black and blue, his eye couldn't really shut. It was brutal. It took Zig awhile to get out of Mr. Simpson's office too. He was blacked out for a while as he was unceremoniously escorted there in front of most of the Drama Club and staff at school. Ms. Kwan had to call Mr. Simpson to stay behind he was fixing to come to rehearsal but she called him and said it wasn't a good idea since Maya wasn't going to be there and then the events happened including the fight outside and he had been about.

Miles himself wasn't even paying attention all bloodied and bruised by his father's side. Mr. Hollingsworth just politely thanked the kind gesture and pressed inside to see the principal.

The billionaire bad boy wasn't seriously injured but he looked rather banged up and bruised. His hands and face were badly bruised as he sat next to his father in the comfy chairs in front of Mr. Simpson's office desk. Inside Miles look around seeing pictures of he, his wife, and his children. He was face to face in a place where he was standing before a guy who loved his family unlike he who in actuality played a role, in a façade where the mayor had a perfect family. Mr. Hollingsworth was all about sweeping things under the rug, my child does no wrong but behind the scenes a vastly different tune is played at home. His father roughs him up on occasion, mostly because he doesn't know how to raise his kids at all. He has a reason, he would say in his defense. He'd buy him something to cover it up almost immediately, recanting it all. Ever since his mom left, he would get the shaft. The elder Hollingsworth almost always uses his power, money and status to prove himself. The worst was when he finally called his bluff, he did that in front of Frankie it was at dinner in the dining room. He punched him, a week later he was put on the bus to boarding school. Frankie doesn't talk about it, she just represses it. The more she spends with her dad, the less she stands up for Miles. Sometimes Miles thinks acting out helps, other times it just seems like a waste and another unwanted badge of bruises to come.

Frankie, Francesca is his favorite child. He loves her. He buys her anything she desires and he'd never hit her. She resents mom for leaving but she doesn't know the story, she was younger and Mr. Hollingsworth had filed her head with lies and half-truths that she accepted as the truth. He always stresses she does no wrong and that Miles ruins everything and that was why Frankie was allowed to live with him when their mother left, and Miles was sent to school after school. He mostly resents his son not only for his bad rebellious behaviors but because he is the only family member who still communicates with his estranged wife. Of course Miles is also sworn to secrecy on all of it.

After he was taken care of iced and bandaged up at the nurses' office he was free to go home, but when he did come home his father saw him looking like that in bad shape and they both went up to school to talk to whoever was in charge about this. He marched back to school and fortunately was able to catch Mr. Simpson about to leave.

Miles' bruises were mostly where they couldn't be seen to the eye, under clothes, arms, legs, back, never the face. Miles hated his father, but for once he was standing in his defense so he had no choice but to suck it up and stay quiet, out of fear as well. In the public sector he has to play doting father, so by doing that he also has to defend his son to the principal. Miles kept tight-lipped and let him do all the talking no matter how embarrassing it might be for him. It took a lot for him to hold his tongue. If the elder Hollingsworth wasn't physically abusive, his words were often worse. The threats were rarely empty.

Today, after the big fight with Zig he was taken care of iced and bandaged up at the nurses' office he was free to go home, but when he did come home his father saw him looking like that in bad shape and they both went up to school to talk to whoever was in charge about this. He marched back to school and fortunately was able to catch Mr. Simpson about to leave. Since Mr. Hollingsworth is a political figure in the town, he was well-known and it would be wise of Mr. Simpson to stay behind and listen to anything he had to say. It's him who pours money into the school but Archie has never been a huge fan of politicians and people who think they could pull a fast one on the school because they are somebody.

"Mr. Simpson, I am the mayor. You do know me, _correct_?"

"Yes, sir. I actually uh voted for you. Congratulations." Mr. Simpson affirmed in somewhat of a phony way but mostly to save face, the last person he likely wanted was the mayor angry but he looked down at Miles' school record he pulled from the office. "It says here that Miles has been to boarding school. Was kicked out for smoking marijuana . . . "

"I know that." Said the elder Miles, shrugging his shoulder, "We've dealt with that. Drugs are not a problem for him, right?"

Miles affirmed with an unsure and fearful nod, causing Mr. Simpson to offer him a wry smile, "We have a no tolerance drug policy here and he's adhering to it. It's a certain group of students and Miles' grades look good from what I see, he's in basketball. He's doing very well here."

"This is good, I played basketball in my day. Just like his old man, eh?"

Mr. Hollingsworth's Celebration was short lived however.

"I don't know if this may be of concern and I know no parent actually wants to hear any of this, but Miles has had a history of being disruptive in Mr. Perino's history class during the term."

Mr. Hollingsworth turned his head to face is injured son, the boy looked back with pleading eyes, "Is this true?" Miles didn't speak, just nodded. He shook his head exasperated and finally turned his attention back to Mr. Simpson, "I don't know what kind of zoo you're running here in Degrassi but there is no reason _my_ son, my_ well-behaved_ son should come home bloodied and bruised. Last time I checked I was sending my child to a _school_. Is there something done about the animal or _animals_ who did this to him?"

Mr. Simpson uncomfortably coughed, taken back at the mayor's colorful language in lieu of the event. He was almost bewildered about the way the mayor would really go to bat for his son, without knowing the full story and then treat the school as if they were being incompetent. Very flustered, Mr. Simpson stammered uncomfortably, "Mr . . Mayor Hollingsworth, I assure you we have taken the precautionary measures. We disciplined the boy who did it."

"Call me Miles, and tell me who did this to my son?"

"Excuse me?" Mr. Simpson questioned.

"I want his name."

"I can't release that all I can say is a boy, in his grade. I cannot by law release his name because he is a minor. You do know about such laws? Aren't you a politician?"

The elder Hollingsworth scoffed shook his head laughing, he had this idea that his children are angels or at least that's how it came off. "How much money would it take to wipe the being mean to the history teacher off his permanent record?"

"Well, sir it's called a permanent record for a reason."

"Can't really blame me for trying, right Miles?"

"Right dad." Miles answered looking down sadly.

While Mr. Simpson would argue that the boy had it coming, as would the witness he didn't want to get into the details of what he knew. Of course he'd never say that out loud, however Mr. Simpson had about enough. He couldn't ignore that his father was all for nepotism and politics and the boy looked scared and shaken up but he couldn't say it was his father's presence that scared him straight. He had friends in high school who suffered at the hands of authroity figures and such but this was something he had no business in. At that time though the elder Hollingsworth was keeping him from his affairs at home, and for that he was growing impatient. He knows he has a hard job, by no means was it easy but people like Mr. Hollingsworth were a reason for his sternness.

Mr. Simpson discreetly pursed his lips, clearly agitated that his job was being questioned by a Politian who knows nothing about how schools are run and the laws that are to be abided and for that it was questionable even if he was the person who put said things in "My hands are tied on the matter, sir. Fight was technically off school grounds, but rather in the front of the school. Didn't actually happen inside and there were witnesses who could confirm if you need to do what you need to do."

"No need to press charges."

Miles jumped, displeased with the notion. He removed the ice from his bruised face, "But daddy, he beat me up."

"Miles, what you want me to do? Who needs the court to get involved? Right, Mr. Stinson?"

"It's Simpson."

"Whatever, well you know what I mean, so nothing we can do, right?"

"Right, have a good evening. See you soon, Miles."

Before Miles and his father got up, his father dug in his pocket and passed him a business card, "If you have an issue with my son, call me up. I want to know what's in the loop so to speak."

Mr. Simpson after that last remark shut up, smiled and waved at the father and the son. Mr. Simpson couldn't help but find that entire exchange bizarre, there was a major disconnect between the boy and the man nonetheless he let them go there was nothing he could really do. He couldn't really deny that now, he regretted his decision to vote for a creep like the elder Miles Hollingsworth for mayor. Mr. Simpson unknowingly let Miles go, he looked at him with sad eyes as the door closed.

. . .

Zoe fidgeted with her key before walked in her house with Maya in tow, giggling, as she wanted to begin giving her the grand tour, "I feel _wonderful_. Maya you're a better driver than I am."

Truthfully, Zoe hadn't felt completely one-hundred percent when she realized she would be free from Curtis' weight on her forever. She was rid of the STD, it sucked but she was free. Now, she even has a gal pal to boot. Of course it wasn't going to be easy, a lot of bad things went down in between, she talked a lot of crap about Zoe but now she was hoping things would get better. There was a chance for that. Zoe was there for Maya and her for Zoe.

"After getting a shot in your arm? No thank you, I hate needles." Maya asked and confessed matter of factly rubbing her arm pouting.

"But we're _cured_, which is _awesome_." Zoe replies spinning around wildly as she takes Maya's coat and hangs it up on the hook, "Let me call Zig, since we have his car."

"What about the tour?" Maya asked confusedly avoiding the Zig subject. She would admit it'd be awkward for Zig and her to hang out after everything she supposed, he knew everything now everything was out in the open.

"Okay first tour, call later." Zoe beamed joyously as she waltzed about the house leading the way through, "So obviously, bathroom by the door, my living room up the stairs my room, there's a bathroom in there. She pointed to the living room, it's just me and my mom, seen pictured there."

"Your mom is pretty, Maya says as she admires the picture above the mantel, "you kind look like her."

"Thanks. I take that as a compliment because I guess I want her to be proud of me, and I know that she _is_."

"That's really awesome, Zoe." Maya answered as they finally sat down on her couch. Zoe took her phone out and called up Zig, but the phone went straight to voicemail. She sighed, moving her attention back to Maya and their newfound friendship and couldn't help but feel relief. Keeping in mind both girls know nothing about the fight that occurred that day at school, after all but today they won't think about the drama at school.


	16. The Party Favor

Chapter 16

The Party Favor

It had been a few weeks since the Maya and Miles incident that broke up and their seemingly idyllic relationship during practice on that fine day. Zig was suspended from school for a day out of school and had two days in school in isolation, he had to talk with the guidance counselor and had to stay a number of feet away from Miles. He was no longer to be seated on the same side of the classroom. He couldn't talk to him but he didn't want to. The bruises that covered his smug face was enough for him to be satisfied with that. They lingered for days afterward. Miles didn't say a word, especially not in Perino's class.

Zoe had done well with so-called sobriety with an army of friends surrounding her. For Maya and Zoe it's been baby steps. Not every one of course, besides Zig is dry. Fresh out of supply. So Zoe has been good for a while when she wasn't spending time with Zig at his mother's she was in school and busy making amends with Maya. It was Maya's birthday and Zoe worked hard to present her with a fun sleepover party to calm the nerves and break the ice. It's a surprise party and she had a lot of help with Frankie her niner friend. Since Frankie was most approachable she asked around for girls who were friends with Maya, Zoe and herself and of course Tristan. Zoe was up to the task. She walked up to the white-haired boy at his locker, "Zoe, what are you doing here?" He asked brashly admiring his reflection in the mirror toying with his perfectly dyed hair. He turned around and saw her beaming at him. He heard the rumors, he knows that Maya has gleefully accepted her back into her life, but Tristan was less than enthused.

"Maya's birthday, friday night at my place, it's a slumber party."

"And you assume I'd like to go?" He asked surprised to see her his sculpted eyebrow raised.

He was very standoffish, his perfectly manicured nails rivaled hers as he slammed his locker and faced her with his hands crossed at his chest. She couldn't help but want to roll her eyes, but she respected him and his utmost honesty. After-all, Maya would be disappointed if he didn't know because he is her best friend. Zoe had to bite the bullet despite what a damper he would be more than likely at this party. He had this sardonic way about him that made her feel as tiny as a pea.

"Isn't Maya your best friend?" Zoe asked confusedly.

"Why isn't she asking me about it?"

"Because it's sort of surprise, that's the _fun_ of it." Zoe said beaming brightly.

"Maya hates surprises." He said dismissively shutting her down rolling his blue eyes brushing her off. For a guy he could be a bitch, he was cold and unkind. He wasn't like the Tristan from those fan vlogs singing the praises that Gatsby Garcia was his queen. Here she is standing before him and he treats her like some sort of peon, a nothing, a nobody. Zoe walked off in an exasperated huff but then he surprised her, "Wait . . . "

Zoe sheepishly turned around stopping herself from walking another step forward. She offered him a wry smile, "Yeah?"

"You know what? I'd love to go. It wouldn't be a sweet sixteen without me. He looked at her quasi-sternly, "One condition?"

"Name it."

"All the _Westdrive_ we could ever watch."

"I have all seasons." Zoe beamed in a celebratory fashion, she was uplifted by his small minor exception.

"Perf, baby perfect." Tristan said as he brought down his fire engine red sunglasses to his eyes with his hand, as he walked with her, "And Zoe?"

"Hm?" She questioned never sure if he was done because he spoke with such a peculiar way about him, she was never sure if he was pausing for dramatic impact or if he were pausing with skepticism but either way when he paused it made her jolt with fears.

"I knew you weren't prime evil." He said smiling, "I'll come by early to help set up."

"That would be great." Zoe answered happily as she waltzed down the hall, when she hit a corridor she danced down the halls in silence until she saw Zig arguing with an older guy.

It was Owen.

Technically, he wasn't allowed on school grounds but he and Zig were silently arguing outside as she observed the scene from the foyer. She saw Owen throw him a bag, and Zig refusing to take it. Quickly she realized that Owen had the goods. She wasn't yet strong enough on her own to call it quits with the drugs but she had seen him at various parties at the ravine and she knew she had to pick up some party favors for her party. She knew where to find him, and that place of course is called the ravine. Besides, at this rate Zig knows Zoe is clean and she wanted to keep up that façade at least to her she wanted to know she could get through school knowing she had the drugs within her grasp. She took the other exit out of school, toward Bennett Park and opened up her purse to grab herself a cigarette and light it up. She knew it was bad for her looks but she had recently picked up the habit from Zig, besides she finds it rather glamorous. As she exhaled the smoke as she made her way downhill in her dainty little shoes arriving in the woods of the ravine and down to the fire pit with the van and such it was empty as usual.

As far as her relationship went, things were great. Zig and Zoe were healthy, happy and romantic. Ms. Rivas loved Zig when she did finally meet him. Alaina is holding up her end of the bargain with Curtis and she's seeing him for the sake of her daughter. As disgusting as it is she tries not to think on that. When she isn't battling the awkward situation at the home front she has the place to herself for the weekend for the big soiree at her house. Her mom and Curtis are on some weekend getaway and it was best for her not to ask questions. She really had no want to know. She ducks low and hides out or goes out when she knows Curtis would be around but sometimes he comes over unannounced. At least she was comforted knowing that he wouldn't be around all weekend just in time for her new friend's birthday. Dresscode was pajamas, nighties and boyfriend hoodies , no boys allowed with the exception of Tristan. She got in touch with catering and cleared it with mom and made some cupcakes and different snacks. She got people to set up at home so she could do business. She smoked her cigarette leaning against the van and waited for Owen. Like clockwork he came around she bit her lip nervously as she tossed the cigarette on the ground and scorched it out with the toe in a mash potato rotation as she looked up at him, "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Owen Milligan what can I do you for?"

As she pulled out her hand, he took her hand toward his lips and gave it a chaste kiss, not taking his eyes off of her. She beamed, he was an older guy, drove, he smelled like liquor and really sexy cologne. She quietly and passively pulled her hand back as she backtracked on her feet answering cooly, pretending to be mature. It was easy for her, after all she's an actress, "I'm Degrassi, I go to Zoe." Finally she realized she made an error as he cracked up laughing at her little flub of the mouth, "I mean Zoe, I go to Degrassi."

He was a tall, older guy. Zoe didn't know Owen was Tristan's brother. If anyone put them in a room together no one would ever peg they had any relation and she came to Degrassi after Owen had already graduated. She doesn't know a lot about Tris aside from that he's gay, obsessed with Westdrive, herself and gossip and drama. It seemed as if he was his brother's polar opposite, super masculine, had a swagger to him, independence and influence that perhaps Tristan lacks. In fact it's the same attitude or way about him that Zig has, but more adult, more toxic and more wrong. Not to say that Zig is wrong, he just is cut from similar fabric. Misunderstood and forbidden but it seemed like with every word he'd breathe it was full of seduction and complication. He would be the kind to take advantage of someone in a weak spot but at the same time he seems like the kind who would sweep you away in some epic romance at the same time. Zoe vowed she would keep it business but she had already flubbed like a ditz at her first altercation. In school drug dealing was a highly secretive lucrative thing that was done in private and Zig was exceptional at keeping things still fun. He was her first and only experience with a drug dealer, but Owen, he was intimidating and frightening.

"It's fine, who needs formalities." Owen recovered as he pulled the van door open with immense force, the door gets rusted shut from time to time as he sat down and hoisted himself up and inside, "Come in my office and watch your head."

Zoe clad in a body con skirt thought it'd be difficult to get inside safely without giving him an unintentional peep show, nervously she peered around but saw nobody around, she stepped up on the platform and inside as Owen carefully closed the door behind her, "I need 30s."

He shrugged, "It'll cost you."

Zoe opened up her purse, and passed him the twenty-dollar bill only he didn't make a trade-off, he made a disenchanted face causing her to recoil back nervously, "Twenty right?"

"Nice try, let's talk money, princess warbucks. Stars like you make more cash than that."

"I'm not a star."

"Sure you are aren't you on that show called _Northpark_?"

"Westdrive."

He squinted his eyes sassing back, "Whatever. Time is money."

"I don't have that" She contested that quietly, but continued, "When I buy from Zig - "

"Cheaper right? That is because Zig is my mule." Owen cut her off followed by some sinister snickering with a smug little pep in his step, "I'm the source, I'm the empire so I naturally up the ante."

Zoe bit her lip fearfully, "How much?"

"Double it. I give you two, enough for a few days."

"Sixty bucks? Sir, It's been a few days." Zoe said rocking back and forth, "Be reasonable."

"I am, it's an investment. How am I supposed to know you are going to pay the difference?" Owen asked looking down at her chest and then wrinkled his nose as he looked back up at her, with a pause between and a smug expression to boot when she protested silently by covering her cardigan over her chest, "Okay, Fine."

"Could we work with credit?" Zoe asked in a celebratory fashion but still in a serious tone.

"I don't run a charity."Owen grumbled firmly.

"And I'm not _asking_ to."

"So as of today, you owe me twenty bucks, when I take your sixty."

"I'll owe you forty because I'm going to need some weed, doesn't matter the quality."

"Okay now you're just being stingy with the cash." Owen snickered, passing back the money her way and taking the pills back, "No deal."

"What?" Zoe asked in extreme exclamation.

He seductively bit his lip, "Girl Scout's are down the road."

"Please." She rolled her eyes, "Fine fuck the weed. I'll just take the pills, $60 bucks."

"Ask nicely." He said as she went and grabbed for it but his arms were much longer and he was quicker.

She gave up and rolled her expressive eyes again in response, but she was left with little choice, "Fine, I'm sorry." Before saying, "Please."

Owen relented giving her the goods, the drugs, and she fiddled with the door until he helped her with it. She ran out as she was running through the woods back up the hill she smacked right into Zig and fell to the ground on top of him, "Zoe!" He exclaimed, from the look on her face as she brushed her clothes off from the dirt from falling down. He helped her up as she recovered. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him, he need not know about the secret drug exchange with Owen, she just whispered, "Boy am I glad to see you." She said nestling her head into his chest, "I love you."

He smiled at that confession, he uttered back, "I love you too, Zoe." As he rubbed her back as he pulled her tighter to him. He was confused why she was running from that distance, at that much force but he didn't want to rock the boat. He was just happy to see her. She pulled away the hug and looked up into his eyes smiling up at him, "What is it?" He asked her.

"I just really love you." She once again confessed, continuing her sunny mood smiling even larger than before, beaming so that her dimple showed, her chocolate eyes danced. He loved her too but suddenly he was alarmed and off guard and somehow that was refreshing. He picked her up and spun her around, she laughed as he grabbed her by the waist lifting her up off the ground. She leaned closer and pulled him into a romantic kiss while he held her. She wrapped her legs around his waist once he stopped spinning her. Despite the all the spinning they weren't dizzy at all. Zig looked down at Zig as he finally put her down safely on the ground.

He softly reached out to hold her hands which were at her sides. He lifted them and got into place to dance, "Do you want to dance?"

She laughed biting her lip, "Taking romantic cues from Danny Zucko."

"Well, you know ought to get in character." He replied helping her get ready to dance putting his other arm around through her arm to put his hand on her back.

"I'd love to." She said looking around sheepishly, "Problem though, no music."

He sighed as they began to sway, her head resting on his chest at first, she caved to him as they followed one another's slow and soft steps, he purred in her ear seductively, "We don't need music."

He spun her around once more and dipped her causing her medium length hair to touch the ground and her pills to fall from her chest. She tried to recover but she let that go by unnoticed as he lifted her once more so they would dance some more, they were silent but clearly the romancing was working in their favors that their agendas live on. Zoe's to find the pills and Zig to finally catch sometime with his favorite girl unknowing of her big secret.

After dancing commenced she was fast enough to pick up her pills as he received a call from his mom, this time she stuffed them in her clutch unnoticed. Finally he rushed her off the phone as the sun seemed to have already set in the sky. They had been there for over an hour, and it was time for them to do something else now that it's dark and harder to navigate through the brush and the tree's. From the way he was speaking it was his mother, he was speaking completely in Russian to her and she knew that even when she came over and she was asking him something personally she would ask him in russian and not english. At first Zoe took it sort of personal like when she would go to the nail salon and the girls would be talking crap behind her back. They knew who she was not to say it to her face but they kissed her ass when they would speak direct. She knew that Ms. Novak liked her though, she pretty much had an instant invite to dinner, "Ma wants to know if you're coming to dinner, it was my mom."

"Of course I am." Zoe answered, delighted to be spending another night with her favorite people. Things were looking up for Ms. Rivas but for how long? First not getting caught buying drugs from Owen and now this. How could things possibly go more smooth. She could only hope that Maya's surprise party will go on without a hitch.


	17. Dinner and a Show

Chapter 17

Dinner and a Show

Zoe excused herself to the bathroom after making small talk in the kitchen with Ms. Novak. Once inside, she took the pills out of her pocket and held them in her shaky hands. She looked at herself in the mirror. Contemplating on the dangers of taking drugs in his house but at the same time she was really needing the pick me up. Things were going well for her in recent weeks but she wanted to keep it up. The pills gave her the energy to get her through the day. She saw in Zig's bathroom they had some cups for the mouthwash. It had been a few weeks since her last fix and she had been really waiting on it but she needed it. She took one of the halves and knocked it back, filled the cup with water from the sink and downed it. She heard Zig call that dinner was ready, she hollered as she fixed her hair putting the cup down, "Coming!"

She sat down at dinner next to Zig and gave him a sweet smile as she saw the table was set up and they were just waiting for her. In the center was a hot plate of macaroni and cheese, "I made you your favorite, guys."

"Thank-you." Zoe said as she nervously put her napkin on her lap. The light above her was bothering her and making her feel sort of hot all of a sudden but she ignored it and tried to act natural. Beads of sweat were starting to form on her head as she began eating. She drank a lot of water. More than one cup. Midway through her plate she removed her sweater, asking everyone as everyone was well into dinner, digging in, "Is anyone hot?"

"I did add some peppercorn but, it's a cool 50 degrees in here." She answered not thinking anything at all.

Zoe shrugged feeling out-of-place as she dug in some more. She was eating fast, she had two bowls in the space of time it took Zig and his mom to finish their first. Zig looked at her with concern but ignored it. Couldn't be, all he had ever sold her was fakes and she hadn't been acting out of the ordinary when she bought from him but today she was acting different, erratic, jumpy, skid-dish and most of all suspiciously hot. He didn't want to bring anything up in front of his mom so he kept his thoughts to himself and acted as normal as possible. He reached his hand to her and squeezed it, she looked up at him but her eyes started to glaze. "You okay, babe?"

"I'm just really hot." She acknowledged Ms. Novak beaming, as she looked for a moment at her now empty plate, "It's delicious. Thank-you."

"Anytime Zoe." When everyone was finished with dinner she sat up to pick up the plates off the table to load into the dishwasher.

Zoe went into the kitchen to refill her water, "Babe I'm thirsty."

"You've already had three glasses, are you okay?"

"Well I was running earlier today." Zoe replied filling up the water from the refrigerator as they walked into his bedroom, leaving the door open because that was the rules when Zoe was over and they did decide to go into the bedroom. She sat on her bed and turned on his fan. He shrugged his shoulders and just watched her act up. She wasn't herself.

"Is everything okay?"

She looked over and smiled pleasantly wiping her forehead, back and forth she rocked, "Of course, never better."

Zig skeptically sarcastically remarked, "Sure . . "

"Are _you_ okay?" She asked him scooting over closer to him now. Her breathing was even quicker than usual.

"Yep." He said rolling his eyes but she couldn't see.

"I think we're alone . . so I was kind of wondering if -"

Zig dismissed the notion she was just hot and just ignored it. He laid on the bed, his head on the pillows and she leaned against him, fidgety refusing to stay still. She closed her eyes as they silently laid down together. She let out a rather large yawn, and poked him with her hand mumbling some random stuff. Finally she turned to him as she reached for his pants causing him to pull away.

"You sure?" He asked.

"Mhm." She nodded, whispered as she climbed on top of him. She pulled him close to her and started making out with him but it was clear she was in no real state to be kissing him or anything else for that matter. She took all the control and soon it was nagging that he needed to ask her questions or stop her.

"Zoe stop."

"No." She groaned as she went ahead to his neck causing him to fidget all around.

"Get off." He said successfully sitting up causing her to cross her arms.

"What?" She asked pulling away, confused, "Did I do something?"

"Did you?" He asked her even more skeptically.

"Well if you must know I just bought some pills from Owen and now I feel weird."

Zig quickly sprung up and stood in front of her his eyes wide, he just freaked out, she looked at her confusedly and then he realized, she was really high. Now her behavior and the realization that Owen sells real pills that work, not his dinky candy sugar pills she had taken since they started interacting at the beginning of the year. He did it to protect her. He knew if people went to Owen they were getting the real deal. How did she even know about him? He had so many questions and no answers and he wasn't going to trust the ramblings of a very high, very erratic Zoe on how she even got the connect.

"Do you know how _stupid_ that is?" Zig yelled in a brash yet hushed tone to not alarm his mom.

"You were dry, I needed supply . . hey that _rhymed_!" Zoe giggled pointing at him not seeing the severity of the situation, "Don't worry baby."

"Don't worry?" Zig asked shaking her trying to snap her out of it, at least he had experiences with weak drugs, with weak drugs like weed you got a high, a relaxing high but she went from taking nothing to taking something strong and not to mention addictive. She yawned again giggling as her eyes crossed and uncrossed, "I only took a half."

He scoffed shaking his head before putting his hands over his eyes shaking his head, "What am I going to do with you, Zoe?"

"I have a few _ideas_." She said with her head gesturing back to the bed.

Zig maintained his composure, talking to her like she was a child, because that was precisely how she was acting, "Not the time."

She made a sour puss as she fell back onto the bed, "But, but _Zig_."

"But but . . nothing, how did you know about _Owen_?" Zig asked.

"I saw you . . . earlier." She whispered, "He was giving you drugs."

He growled, "I don't take them from him."

"Why'd you give em back?" She leaned forward.

"Because that's not the thing."

"Where do you get them? He called you a mule." She asked.

The answer she got however was even more bizarre, "My mom's store, in the back there's a candy company and they . . . they make pills that are like PMS pills or Happy pills. They do nothing. They don't work, you see?"

Her face fell, she looked down making sense of the senseless, slowly she dotted the lines, "I was taking _candy_?"

She bit her lip as he answered, "I didn't want you to go down that road."

"You took my money." She stated plainly as she got up off the bed standing at his level, only she was much shorter. Her eyes were glassy, she shook her head before tears started to fall, "You _lied_ to me."

"Lied to you? I saved your life, from making a mistake -"

"What a drug dealer you are?" She spat shaking her head walking back until she wound up on his bed again but she got up once again and looked away avoiding his eyes, "I guess your feelings . . . "

"Those, Zoe . . they were _real_."

"Bull shit." She muttered avoiding him searching for her purse hazily as he pulled her to him into an unexpected but warm embrace. "Get off of me."

"No!" He exclaimed back, she fought him, but he was much stronger and more lovingly finally she just sobbed uncontrollably and caved to him. He hushed her as he ran his fingers through her long chestnut hair and just sighed helplessly. Finally her hands were free and she hugged him too. She just whispered, "I'm so sorry." over and over again.

"It's fine . . you're okay." He whispered as she pulled away and looked up at him, wiping her eyes, but the mascara just smeared. She didn't care though, she was vulnerable in that moment, vulnerable and high.

"I'm not okay, Zig." She whispered her bottom lip quivering, to stop it she bit it so she wouldn't cry anymore. She didn't want to cry, not in front of him that was the last thing she ever wanted to do. He just got so angry, he intimidated her and he wanted better for her. He didn't want that for her. There wasn't any way she would ever stay angry with him though, that was just impossible, not when she loved him. Her love for him was stronger than her anger. Stronger than her grudges because in the end she had everything she ever wanted and yet she needed those pills to get her by. "Until you I didn't have anybody."

"I'm not going anywhere, you _have_ to know that." Zig said looking down at her compassionately.

"Everybody says that, until they go away." She nods, "I try . . I try so hard."

He shook his head smiling softly at her as he sat down on the bed and pat the seat beside him, patting it with his hand. She turned around and sat beside him, he whispered, "Come here."

"Everyone wants to be your best friend until they find out what a wacko you are, or in my case a bitch." Zoe confessed before she added another factoid, "It's how the acting world works. A world full of phonies."

"I don't date bitches."

"You _have_ to say that." She sighed shaking her head.

She complied leaning her weight onto him and resting her head on his shoulder. He looked on his nightstand, as he reached for a tissue, and gave it to her, "Wipe those tears, huh?"

Zig agreed, as he put the box back on his nightstand and rested his head on her head, ever so lightly so that he could smell her floral scented shampoo just by breathing in from where he was. She avoided his eyes as she looked down at his shoulder, and then finally back up to him, "There's a lot you don't know about me."

"And I'm sure there's a lot you don't know about me, but what?"

"I just . . everyone thinks I'm so . . " she sniffled, closing her eyes, "Perfect. I just didn't want to let anybody down."

"Zoe you didn't let me down, you never have." He wanted to snap her out of this, this sad morose feeling. Minutes ago she was trying to jump him and next minute she's in hysterics angry at him and then in tears and now she's being calm and honest. He had no experience in pills. He was soon to learn there was an underlying pain inside of her. For someone so kind to him and cruel to others it's clear she's suffered from a sort of indenity crisis, a culture shock.

"I got fired from job."

"There will be plenty more."

"It's one job."

"I've worked there since I was in diapers."

"There will be more."

"I'll never work again." She said shrugging.

"You're acting now."

Zoe rolled her eyes and huffed, sarcastically undermining, "Oh now let me tell you Marty Maraschino in a school play. I'm _really_ working. I know for a fact I'm _better_ than that."

He shrugged his shoulders let out a snicker, causing her to jump and look back up at him, "You were robbed."

"No I wasn't." She protested in a quiet tone, "It's because _even_ casting knew I was a bitch. I didn't deserve to be Rizzo. No one let's me have what I want, everyone says you never get ahead but I'm stubborn and I don't listen but I just have so many regrets."

"I won't let you talk about yourself that way." Zig muttered shaking his head, "Besides, you're much too young to have regrets."

"Don't you?" She asked.

"Those aren't important." Zig shrugging his shoulders.

The never-ending list of her countless disappointments shined right on through, "My mom is disappointed in me. I know she's not forgetting that. Maya, Miles, I mean things are better than ever at my house. Curtis shit with my mom, I can't take that back even if I _wanted_ to. Take it back. I feel horrible."

"It wasn't your fault. He's a skeez and you know it."

"You weren't there. I was a bitch onset. I was horrible to work with. I had no friends. It's my karma."

"You don't even know . . . he's an adult. He _should've_ known better."

"I'm just stupid. What do I have to show for it?"

"You have me. You have your mom. You have a house. You have me." Zig listed, "I say you're doing well."

"It's just so hard, Zig it's more than that. Even having you . . the other things are still there. The disappointments. . . "

He sighed

"Why do you think I do drugs, because my life is perfect?" She asked him.

"No ones life is."

"People like you. Nobody at school likes me. Take Tris for instance . . he's only coming to the party because Maya. I'm nothing."

"You think everything is easy for everyone?" Zig asked combing her hair with his hand behind her ear, "I promise you, it's not but you'll find something new. You'll be so happy. I want that for you. And you _deserve_ it most of all."

Her eyes welled up again, "I love you, because . . I feel like you really believe in me."

"You're right, I do, and I won't rest until you, Zoe believe it too." He said in reply, before adding swallowing hard, "Until then, I won't rest until you smile."

Only that smile was just seconds away, a small smile played on her lips as she pulled him in for another hug, this time she knew she didn't want to let go, "I do have you though."

"You do and I'm not going anywhere."

She lifted her pinky up in a fist, looked at her confusedly, "What are you doing?"

"Pinky promise?" She asked him pushing it closer. He did the same, and interlocked his pinky with hers.

"Pinky promise this is stupid." Zig shook his head smiling.

"It's not." Zoe shook her head, "I'm just a girl. It's what we do when we make a promise we intend to keep."

"I never felt like this before." Zig said so conflicted but knowing there was one thing that wouldn't change no matter what.

"Neither have I."


	18. Are You Ready? Let's Go Steady

**Chapter 18**

Are You Ready? Then, Let's Go Steady

"Goodnight, Zoe. Home by _ten_," She looked to Zig with a stern look, followed by a smile which was an unwritten code between Zig and his mother. Mother knows best. She reached her bedroom door and added, "Goodnight son."

Zig's mom went ahead to bed and Zoe led the way as they both walked into the bathroom to face the days defeat the sham of a pill addiction and the even more questionable agony of taking the pill for real. The truest form of damage control. For a few seconds she paced about the bathroom and he kept his distance.

A bitter pill to swallow and a lesson learned. She didn't need that in her life, not when it would ultimately put a risk on their new and wonderful relationship. She wanted to be in it for real, and he was already far too invested for it to be an easy thing to just end so soon not while Zoe was feeling that it was mutual, a mutual love, adoration and attraction. Zoe slowly opened up the baggie and put her finger in the baggie and took out took out the pill from the plastic baggie quiet not to wake up his mom whispering, "I'm going to flush the rest."

"Great." He beamed but remained unnerved of the recent development, nervously laughing as he lifted up the toilet seat. She just stood there frozen, it was possible she was still high or coming down. She had likely flushed a lot of it out through her body through drinking and going to the bathroom frequently but she asked him to come in. She didn't want to let her baggage affect her relationship with Zig.

"I figured after the talk we had . . . "

"No, Zoe. I agree with you but you just have to be sure, you can't be upset with me when I tell you what you did."

"I don't need anything but you." Zoe confessed sort of changing the subject still holding the pill in her clenched fist beaming as she moved in front of the toilet as Zig looked on from the narrow doorway beside the sink and a small little closet that housed towels wash cloths and other toiletries that they may need. Knockoffs of American and Canadian staples like convenience store brand off-brand Colgate's and Listerine, shaving cream and Q-tips. She hesitated a moment and took a look at the baggie between her fingers, "What should I do with the baggie? Your mom would see it for sure in the wastebasket."

"I'll take care if it, throw it in flush and give the baggie to me. I could easily get rid of them." Zig stated so that she didn't lose her nerve so fast, she was making progress and things were now at ease. She bit her lip as she knelt with her body to plop in the one and a half remaining pills she had purchased from Owen, "I will say tonight is no party."

"What do you mean?" She asked as they hit the bottom and she flushed the toilet looking down at them whispering, "Goodbye." Finally she looked at Zig who was straight-faced and a little weird on his feet. Suddenly, she worried if he was upset with her.

"Meaning if you need to crash here, do it. It won't be pretty."

"_Meaning_?" She questioned with much emphasis.

"You might upchuck." Zig muttered gesturing to the toilet in which she was standing beside, she wistfully looked at it as the flush caused the toilet to echo in the room. Carefully Zoe sat the seat down and in one fell swoop she too fixated herself atop the porcelain throne. When you look at Zig's tiny bathroom, you'd first notice the outdated mirror above the sink, old with little glass effects from the 1970s with a golden rim, the sink was also golden with rotary looking dials and below the dated blue wheat field wallpaper from you guessed it circa 1973 there was a bad tile work job from the previous tenants in a baby blue and on the floor a circular tile work that had been there for many years. The house was aged to about nearing 50-70 years old in an older apartment area in town. It was a house converted into duplex sublet apartments affordable housing for their short and meager income with their family owned convince store. It was Zig's grand fathers, his uncle is responsible for the slack Zig's father left with the family. Essentially, Zig is the man of the house and he'd do anything for his mom. Housing improvements are by situation circumstance only. If something is wrong, a necessity like a leak in the water pipes or a gas issue or something emergency cosmetics would have to wait.

Zoe cocked an eyebrow at that statement, sure she knew what it had meant. It had been in one of her scripts but she had never heard it out loud in life, "Excuse me?"

"Oh sorry, it's something my uncle says when he gets two sheets to the wind, but that's nothing compared to my father." Zig's only relative left his Uncle steps in and takes care of Zig. He's basically his hero. His uncle would give him the moon if he could and when Mr. Novak would be spending the family savings he would blow it on booze, pick a fight with his wife while baby Zig cried and screamed in a room with fighting, glasses breaking and nightly screaming matches were a normality and his childhood lullaby. As an only child, he could only take so much. Zig's uncle was instrumental in him getting his first set of wheels a perk for having an uncle as a mechanic and he's flexible about the family discount, sometimes he'll come over, he lives down the road with his wife and infant son, they had been married a year earlier. He basically stepped in when Zig's dad left, it was a tough year and he filled the void of his absent and much problematic erratic alcoholic father.

"How come I haven't met him?" She asked leaning her head hunched over propped up arm listening.

"He left. Beats me where he is."

Zoe was taken back, she shrugged her shoulders, "Every birthday of mine, I get an envelope with money and a card. Written on it is always this black pen cursive handwriting - Spend it wisely, Honeybee. I don't even remember what his voice sounds like anymore. My mom split up with him when I was young. He really was too busy to be involved but he wants to monetarily be my dad. He never asks about me, we uh . . don't talk."

"Calm down, it's not a big deal. I wouldn't want him to see you, he'd say something fresh." He answered shrugging, "He'd be cruising for a bruising."

"Fresh? Zig Novak you my friend have a rather strange vocabulary."

"What can I say? I grew up in an old-fashioned family."

"Alcoholic dad, I find that _hardly_ old-fashioned family values."

"Nah, my mom and my grandparents, and my uncle - her brother until my grandparents passed away. They were pretty old. My mom was like one of 7 kids."

"God bless your grandmother's _vag_. My God." Zoe answered whilst laughing, shaking her head her eyes widening.

In response, Zig threw his head back and laughed leaning against the sink, looking to his right with Zoe sitting on the toilet her leg tossed over the other crossed, as her bare feet were on the old orange shag bathroom rug her foot gliding against the soft long fabric. She took a strand of her silky hair impulsively braiding the front few strands that angle her face. He just silently watched her as she continued talking, "As for my father, Zig. My mom doesn't think it would be a good idea to see him, but sometimes I want to know. Does he want to be apart of my life or is he doing it because he has to?"

"So I take it he's well off."

"Yeah but my mom is a gold digger I'd expect no less." Zoe confessed biting her lip afterwards grimacing.

His expression soured, "What about Curtis? Don't you feel a little bad?"

"He is vile. I don't wish him on anybody." Zoe exclaimed matter-of-factually, she was a bit loud because she echoed in the small space. Zig raced to the door as he took her hand and led her to the mirror looking at her through the reflection as her stomach nearly whirled her stomach first into the sink which was under the large mirror against the wall. "That's just the thing, she's doing this for me. And I . . . I don't know."

"I think we make a cute couple, Zoe." Zig says acknowledges their reflections in the mirror before them. He draped his arms over her shoulders. As she slides her phone out of her pocket and proceeds to open up her camera to snap a photo of them. He changed the subject because it was suddenly growing heavy and even if she didn't exactly show it, it was a sore subject.

"What you want to make us Facerange official?" Zoe beamed exclaiming overjoyed.

She turned her head to look at him face to face now, but kept her body facing the mirror. Her eyes glittered with joy, as she blushed, "Really?"

"Yeah, why not?" Zig asked shrugging his shoulder his arms still around her busty frame just above her chest-around her shoulders. He laid his head in the crook of her neck, nuzzling her with his nose to kiss her. She pulled back at first looking at him through the reflection as she adjusted the camera and moved it with her spare hand, "Let's take a few pictures, then?"

As they posed, straightened up and, Zoe turned on her selfie-game by turning on the charm and Zig just made his typical non-smile, which was barely even a smirk, or could be even categorized as expressionless. The second picture she turned with her head toward him, he with his hands slid down her body and wrapped one arm around her waist and the other caressing her cheek as he planted her with a kiss as she snapped a photo on her cell phone. The next picture she turned around to face opposite the mirror pulling him into an embrace whispering, "Smile, at least this time."

He finally smiled as she turned her head around so that she could look at the camera. When they were finished snapping photographs they had three decent pictures, Zoe posted them from her phone and added them to her Instaphoto. She decided to make the one with the kiss as her profile photo and changed her relationship status to in a relationship and tagged Zig as her beau, along with putting in the date.

Finally, they exited the bathroom and went down the hall into his bedroom. She sat on the bed and he sat beside her as she turned on her side looking at him, their eyes meeting she just looked at his face. His light eyes, his dark hair, a bit disheveled from their afternoon make out session before they made their way to his house for dinner. He usually wears copious amounts of hair gel when he goes about his morning ritual of getting ready. She pulled him toward her into a hug where she nestled her head into his strong chest, their legs and arms entangled into one another in a welcomed silence.

"Tomorrow is the big party." Zoe whispered.

He pulled a bit closer, causing her to look up at him once again, "Excited?"

She nodded blinking once, "As much fun as I could have with . . people."

"It'll be fine." Zig said running his hands through her long brown hair.

It was relatively late at this point, around 12 or so. Zoe's usual curfew is between 10 and 11 but she never usually stays out all night. She didn't want to be home in case Curtis decided to stay the night before her mom and him leave in the morning for their vacation leaving Zoe alone for her weekend sleepover with the girls. Zoe still had a lot to do before then, she had to get some snacks and she would do that in the morning after they left, "I will probably leave early in the morning before you wake up. Unless you'd help me set up. The niner girls will be there helping too."

"So you'll stay here tonight?" He whispered hushed down.

"I'd like that." Zoe slowly formed a smile, closed mouth, "Would your mom care?"

"Oh she'd care but . . . I don't care what she does to me for it. What can she do?"

"Ground you?" Zoe asked, "Do gets kid grounded?"

Zig shrugged, "I don't but people do."

She breathlessly laughed still trying to be as quiet as possible, which isn't easy when you're an obvious extrovert. Zig is more introverted and silent in his ways, so being quiet for him was easy. She could tell by his eyes that sometimes she tests the volume levels if they want their plan to go off, she whispered, close to him, "I'm not good at this being quiet for an extended period of time."

"Maybe I could help with that." He flirted seductively as he touched his lips together with hers and kissed her, once quickly and pulled away slowly waiting for her reaction, she smiled in response so that you saw her perfectly straight white million dollar smile before settling down for an all lip beam, "You liked that?"

"I _always_ like when you kiss me, boyfriend." Zoe replied, hushed still although inside she was squealing, screaming and lastly sighing, fawning and falling deeper and deeper for him.

"Oh don't I love the sound of that? Oh how I love to see you smile."

"It's just what you do to me." Zoe says as she lies down on her back, turning her head to face him as he stayed put where he was. He just watched her for a moment as she was notably tired. Tomorrow was going to be a long day, she had to wake up early and get a lot done and sleep was important because there wouldn't be sleep for the surprise slumber party for Maya, "Sorry no boys allowed tonight at tomorrow's sleep over. Tonight though is, another story."

"Ask me questions." Zig asked, "Isn't that what girls do?"

Zoe laughed biting her lip so that she would quiet down when she realized this was a big old secret from Zig's mom, "Sorry, what do you mean?"

"Ask me questions, girls play games, right?"

"We do . . . " Zoe trailed off adjusting her head on his stiff and messed up pillow so that she could get comfortable, "What are the steaks, if you lie you uh . . take off an article of clothing."

"Is that what _girls_ do?"

"I think it's safe to say _we_ make our own rules." Zoe replied with a wink, "After all, we are super unconventional. How we met, give you any indication?"

Zig offered a shrug but in defense, he couldn't say much, but agree. They started off on weird terms, nothing that the average person would want to start a relationship on, but they did and in that they found love. Love that he couldn't have with your average ordinary Maya-type girls, but a newly humbled actress through the journey of high school. She was talkative, confident and unique.

"We."

"Yes?" She asked.

"You and your obsession with Paris."

"Paris, my friend is for the birds." Zoe shook her head shrugging her shoulder at that thought. Paris had been tainted. She had once dreamed of that old glitters and gold, splendor from the movies she watched as a kid, her influences and now she could now take it or leave it. Miles ruined that, Miles had ruined almost everything if it wasn't for Zig.

"So first question?" Zig asked, she nodded as he started, "Grandparents?"

"Two, obviously I don't know a thing about my dads parents. They are retired, they live out-of-town in America . . Florida."

"Is that where oldies go to retire?"

Zoe nodded, smiling, expanding on it, "We see 'em on Christmas. They come up. I've never been to their place. They walk and do a lot of activities together. Mom is the apple of their eye and quite frankly I'll never know why."

"Your mom have siblings?"

"Two brothers, one is a underachiever and a constant disappointment." Zoe braced herself, "Her other is a multimillionaire inventor. He's loaded."

He was always a genius and came home with the best grades and Alaina the middle was always aspiring to be more like her older brother. She was often knocked down because she was a girl and girls couldn't be good at everything according to her brother who thought themselves better. They were brought up to be the image of good old-fashioned family values. Family Portraits adorned their homes, the cottage at the Hampton's, their beach houses and their mansion. Alaina always had expensive taste and looked to the finer things in life.

"Their names?" He asked. Propping his head looking at Zoe as she talked, her chest rise and fall as she would take her breaths and talk. He lingered there for a few minutes, but every so often she would see he was staring and she would shoot him a disproving glare. She made sure she didn't take her eyes from him, she looked at his face, fixating on his raven hair and his tough guy façade as he spoke or inquired or wished her to expand on things. Attention on her, always attentive to what she spoke of. He loved when she talked. He loved to know about her.

"Pete and Louie, Lou is youngest and Pete is the millionaire who we don't talk to." While their parents doted on her one brother, constantly shook their head with contempt with the youngest brother young Alaina was constantly challenged.

_Do better, try harder. _

_Get that B up to an A or no television after dinner._

_I want to see effort. _

_You're not quite as good as Pete._

_ It's not good enough. Do it again or just let me handle it. _

As Alaina got older and was so pressed and poised of trying hard and trying to be good at everything that soon her parents would say, _"Oh well, it doesn't matter. Afterall, you are a girl."_ When she'd ask why it was because they couldn't have two disappointments in the house. That sealed her fate, that all along they just wanted her to be so-so. Her best would never do and she wasn't exceptional or special and now she could focus on being what they believed a woman should be. Something she disagreed with as a young rebellious and sheltered young woman.

As Alaina grew older while always very beautiful she just grew in beauty exponentially and she started to see the perks of being someone attractive. As a little girl she had glasses, so she asked for contacts. Boys started to take notice. Louie defended her from some pesky and unruly guys. He had a violent streak. It got him into trouble but Alaina was thankful that even though her brother constantly disappointed her Louie never left her in the lurch.

"Louie stuck up for my mom a lot. They were close, I couldn't say that about my Uncle Pete who we don't speak with."

Someone at a country club party walked up to her when she asked him about what he did for a living and if she could get involved in the company, said _you are meant to be a pretty face. Why not secretarial school? Acting?_

Even worse she was meant with snark and never taken seriously when she would attend parties with popular and well-liked Pete and he'd deliberately set her up with his friends on the pretense she'd go with them. If and only if they got her drunk enough but Alaina was headstrong and abrasive when it came to it and she wasn't naïve and stupid. He was a grade-a asshole.

Zoe shrugged, "I was an accident. I know what I know because I eavesdrop. She doesn't tell me anything."

Alaina used her good looks to get her by, giving up her real dreams of being a leader and being one with the chorus blending in to be like everyone else, what her parents wanted what her brother wanted and instead empowering herself by making a mess of events with her insane antics.

She prettied herself for these events, flirt, dance and be friends with anyone and everyone. There was no such as phony, all of it was. She's a girl with needs. There were guys there that hadn't been touched by their wives in years, in her right it was her duty to entertain. A socialite, a social fixture climbing up a social ladder. She made friends with the pretty wild rich and famous and popular types, anyone who was anyone. She was a deb. Pageantry she was a shoo in, her family knew people she always tended to win and excel as her once prominent grades faltered. Who needed school with success when everything was handed to her, apparently just Alaina who wanted to be an actress. Over time, she just settled, let the chips fall where they may. Her confidence dwindled away and was replaced with resentment and jealousy.

When she met her father she was still young but she was thrust with the reality her parents wanted more, with great expectations came the obligation for them to finally have grandchildren but the idea of it was nothing that she wanted. By this time she was no longer kind and compassionate, she moved away from family and ran off to meet her would-be first husband, Zoe's were in a whirlwind relationship, a summer fling that resulted in a pregnancy. He swore up and down he would be there for their little girl, his contributions were always monetary. At first they ran off to Canada but when he split she remained, he said he would be back that he had to clear things with his folks and they broke up just as quickly as they moved in.

He was a dangerous guy, a bad boy he was a millionaire she met him at the country club mutual friends set it up but it quickly got racy. He was the greatest vice. At first seeming to be a good guy, he stepped up and things even though his parents wanted to pay her off when she flew out to see him at his house and tell him the news. The cherry on the cake and the allure she was addicted to was he was toxic to her parents, they hated him.

Alaina resented him when he didn't want to be with her but would never know it was his parents bidding and he was just complying. He paid her money for Zoe. Zoe was raised by Alaina and she makes her daughter work slowly becoming her parents by dwindling down her own daughters fire and ambition the same way hers was taken from her so soon. She wanted to live out the dreams for herself within her daughter instilling the same values as she was raised upon. Acting, dressing pretty because she is just a girl and lastly, being creative and calculating. Now Alaina is eating her words entrapped in a relationship unwittingly by the just as cool and calculating Curtis who is a master manipulator. Imprisoned by someone who violated her daughter who was raised to be what he lusted for. What Alaina was always lusted for her good looks and charm.

Needless to say she and her brother don't speak and she tries to help out her younger brother even if he has his faults. Mismanaging his time and money, odd jobs and things but he is inherently good. Alaina visits him from time to time gives him money and has him over for meals a few times a month. Quite possibly she's the only person she sees that doesn't do her wrong. Zoe loves her uncle and he loves her. He's unmarried, no kids and no romantic prospects to speak of he has notoriously bad luck with relationships because years of being undermined by his parents and his successful older brother is someone he is extremely jealous of.

Her grandparents are financially well off though, her dad was an actor in New York, they met when her grandma was a chorus girl and a one time Radio City rockette. She was a huge dance enthusiast. She used her status to get guys to buy her drinks, take her dancing and buy her rather lavish gifts.

"My mom moved to Canada for my dad who she was forbidden to date because apparently nobody is good enough for their little girl she went out and did it on her own. We stayed here ever since and ultimately, my grandparents were right. It's not like my mom would go out of her way to see them, but what if they die? I know she'll feel guilty." Zoe hesitated before adding, "Last time we went on vacation with them we went out on a cruise and I was . . chunky. My mom wanted to put me on a diet, with a dietitian, pills and things and they kind of had a bit of a fight saying they shouldn't restrict me. I was six. So what if I had a bit of baby fat."

"So you were _chubby_?"

"Until she went against them and did it anyway, she's obsessed with appearances. Okay not fair, you asked three more questions than you should have. It's my turn to ask you." She wanted to not think about her dysfunctional, depressing family. She hated her mom for a long time, her mom hated her parents too for a long time and here Alaina goes making the same mistakes as she would and being precisely who her parents wanted to be even if that was against her. It's why Zoe was thrust so early in the spotlight.

"I'm an open book."

"You're a bad liar." Zoe pointed at him shaking her head, straight-faced before buckling and laughing, sometime during their time of speaking she picked up a small heart-shaped pillow that adorned his bed and hugged it to her as she listened to him. Commonly on lonely nights she too would clutch a pillow as she watched her shows and review episodes from the tapes on the lot of earlier seasons of _Westdrive_ to properly get into character. She was a sucker for teenage melodrama. She watched a lot from America but even watched Skins which was from the UK. She wished that _Westdrive_ would get more ambition and curse way more because that is what real teens do. They smoke cigarettes, they get high and they don't apologize to anyone about anything. They're the coolest kids. And yet they are riddled with more confidence issues than some psychologist patients.

"Me?"

"Yes you." She added, "You give a fuck what people think of you. You're different with me than you are with everyone else."

"I avoid school, I avoid people. The one time I don't, in pops you."

"Jacket." Zoe says as she takes off his jacket but quickly sees his biceps, but slowly continues trying hard not to hesitate and folds it neatly beside them, "What were you like before we met?"

"I was average. I was poor." He looked up at the ceiling with the cracks, hard water stains and beat up walls of his bedroom, and thought hard about it, "Poorer than usual."

"Expand."

"Why do I feel like I'm on trial?"

"Because, I just want to know you better than I already do." She replied.

"Fine, I was lame. I started at Degrassi in eighth grade I dated a girl for eight months named Tori but I wanted to be free and not date anybody. I even got Maya to be a pretend girlfriend but she didn't know the first thing, it was a disaster."

"I thought you never dated Maya."

"You're right, I didn't. I dated the other girl, Tori but I think that was a mistake."

"Why is that?" She asked.

"I didn't like her enough." Zig replied, "I didn't do right by her. We should've stayed broken up but . . . I settled."

"Why?" Zoe asked squinting her eyes.

"I didn't pick Maya. If I could break up with Tori for no reason like I did after grade eight, but I stayed with Tori even though I just wanted to be single. When we were together basically I didn't get to hang out with my friends. She was a bit overzealous. She was sweet but she hates me and it's my fault and I'll live."

"It wasn't meant to be." Zoe replied in a quiet tone she closed her eyes as she laid her head on the pillow yawning, she beamed, "Let's go to bed."

"Oh you're not having fun?"

"I am, I'm just tired." She whispered pulling the blankets over her body.

He took the blankets off of her in response, and got out of bed. He threw open his drawer and tossed her a pair of sweatpants and then closed the drawer and opened the drawer above it with a shirt and threw it to her, "Wear this."

A smile played on her lips as she sat up and took them, he turned around to leave the room to give her some time to change shutting the door behind him as she quickly got changed folding her skirt and top on the empty dresser. Zig reemerged slowly, tapping the door but she called out a bit louder, "I'm ready." Zig took off his jeans and left his shirt on continuing wearing his boxers. She scooted over to let him in, but he pulled her toward him. She smiled as he traced his hands tucking her hair behind her ear and kissed her lips, "Goodnight then."

She reached for his hand, interlacing her hand with his offering him a sweet smile in the kiss as she slowly started to intensify, and although initially they wanted to go to sleep but that was the last thing they did as they both disappeared under the blankets as well as their clothes they had just dressed themselves in. Silhouettes in the night as she and he became closer and closer fighting the necessity of being quiet with their movements and actions, intertwined and in tune with one another spontaneously. She whispered as she leaned in to his neck, "Lets, capitalize on this moment together." She paused biting her lip with anticipation for a breath, "Afterall, I might not ever get to sleep _here_ with you after tonight."

He just answered quietly, fixating himself to her as he adjusted his body so he was above her, trying his damnest to figure out how to be quiet and not wake his mom as they decided to take their relationship to a new level, a new place, "So let's." She got a good view of his stomach which was fit and muscular as he leaned atop her to his bedside table and blindly fumbled in his drawer for condoms. He was nervous, but unsure. He had almost sealed the deal with Tori, even going as far as buying the condoms but they never went for it. She waited below the blankets, she reached for his shirt when she heard the latex and pulled him down to her level, giggling all the while.

When he was with her again, she reached again for his free hand but he had control of it, he combed her hair behind her ear and caressed her cheek as she pulled him closer to her.

"Are you sure?" He asked her breaking away a bit from her advance.

"Shouldn't I be asking you the same question?" He fidgeted as she called his bluff, "You're a virgin aren't you?"

"And?" He asked dodging such a questioning look at her, he breathed in and outwardly as he settled for an answer, "Absolutely ready."

"You don't think it's too soon?" She asked again, giving him a concerned look for a split second, "I just . . I can't wait any longer."

He too couldn't resist her, he loved her as she loved him, he finally caved into his desires and plunged in for the big kiss that started it all. They rolled under the blankets and only focused on two people, after all the talk of many people, expectations, family and life. Right now, it was all about them and everything they could ever want was in their hands and arms.

_Facerange official, what's not to love?_ Simultaneously, she thought to herself internally whilst enveloped in his arms, chest to chest, heart to heart.


	19. In Walks Trouble

Chapter 19

In Walks Trouble

Zoe fluttered open her eyes at the sound of her vibrate alarm on her cellphone. It was a few minutes after six o'clock, the sun was just coming up over the trees and the sky from the window appeared a mixed hue of orange and purple in color.

She hated to leave Zig lying there, it would be the second time she's run out on him since they started spending time together. Their first night meeting, she got drunk and he took her back to his place to sleep it off and tonight she and him made love together and she's out the door. At least she had gotten a few solid hours, by no means was she expecting to stay out all night. Six o clock is early enough to evade Alaina and Curtis and lead them to believe she had been fast asleep tucked away in her bedroom as she is almost every night. Zoe was on the wall side and Zig was nestled next to her making her escape even more daring. Zoe was finally over his legs and manged to slip by unnoticed. She tip toed about silently careful not to wake the other person in slumber, Ms. Novak who had no idea she was still around. It's still likely she didn't know about her last late night in her home. She threw on her clothes with as little movements as humanly possible rushing her way out the door. It was too ambitious for her to take the front door out so she opened Zig's bedroom window and took a Batman-esque exit right through the window. Since his house is only one level she made it out fine, she moved the blinds so it just looked as if he had forgotten to close his blinds properly as she raced home on foot. In her hands were her magenta high heels which weren't fit for running, and even in the briskness of mornings she did it barefoot to avoid a costly ankle injury. It would be the icing on the cake. She could only hope that she saw nobody from school or anywhere else. She decided she was going to skip the day, and prepare for the party. Tris was skipping as well but he was going to swing by Maya's about seven or so to pick her up under the pretense they are going to a ravine party.

Zoe waltzed through the basement window of her house and on her way down with help from the washer dryer below the window she spied a pair of running shoes and well-worn grey PINK by Victoria Secret sweat suit below on a laundry basket. Quickly, she peeled off yesterdays skirt and blouse ensemble and threw them on. They were Alaina's when she would sit inside and do exercises in the basement and was severing as a perfect alibi. It was time she worked out, she hadn't in a while and fortunately for her she was almost for certain one of her mom's tapes was in the DVD player. She turned on the old model television and activated the player horrified at which what she saw next. The DVD in the DVD player was of a night she so groggy could remember but really wished she would forget. She said to herself shaking her head, whispering exasperated whining, "It is too fucking early for this shit."

On tape, in living color. He had recorded it. Her virginity up on display. Why was it _here_ of all places? Not tucked away in a box, or on the internet for that matter. In a panic, she pressed random buttons until the video disappeared from the screen and the dreaded DVD finally ejected.

Then, she held it in her hands, and made the realization of Curtis' twisted, cruel and unjustifiably unusual intentions. He had leverage, do whatever would be his bidding whether Alaina or Zoe knew it or not. Blackmail of the worst kind. Even though, it's technically child porn, as much as it's filth it would have to reach sky-high measures for him to show that bomb shell. She bit her lip in trying to fight back tears, now she wanted him to burn, the world to burn and for that DVD to be destroyed. Never in her life had she felt so helpless, so frightened, so uncomfortable or unsafe and here it is in her hands. She wouldn't have a leg to stand on, the only thing she could do is seek and destroy the evidence.

She had never destroyed something, she had never had a real choice. She closed her eyes and took a breath in trying to calm herself down. It had to be done. Before she began bending the DVD until it broke. As she was tearing off the pieces of the broken CD her mind flashed back to that evening, she drank wine, snacked on crackers and cheese and he had promised for her character big plans of epic proportions, promises he failed to deliver. In addition, he manipulated her in a vulnerable state and that was unforgivable. And finally, he had it all on tape so he could further damage her from the inside. Judging by the way he talks to her, he's just counting on any moment when. It's not an if, or not a threat it's a promise but only a matter of when. And then her life would all be crumbled down. She then remembered the tripod in the living room but she didn't connect the dots until now._ How long was the tape? _She didn't want to know. She broke it before the notion came to her brain but even then she didn't want to sift around and find out.

In a matter of twelve hours, Zoe Rivas would be surrounded by girls her age, her peers and the girls too young to be, and yet they idolize a false person, a person who is every bit as vulnerable and manipulated by others. She could never have something so damaging in the house, she destroyed the evidence so that no one would ever see her in that vulnerable places, that dirty, low and disgusting place. Over her dead body, she would let that happen.

She sniffled after the pieces of the cd were in a pile on the floor and then she tried hard to recover herself from her loss of control for those few minutes, she took the dustpan and broom from against the wall and piled up the debris before finally lifted the dustpan and dumped it in the wastebasket. A single tear, followed by a few more fell down her cheek, only this time Zig wasn't there to help her pick up the pieces. No one was there, not even the girls she would call her friends and certainly not her mother. For the first time, she was faced with the unforgiving loneliness. Angrily she kicked the wall countless times sobbing, monetarily forgetting where she was in that moment, and losing herself for that lapse of time. She collapsed on the ground in front of the tv not even bothering to fall back onto the couch. She screamed out, careless that Alaina and Curtis were nestled snug and tight in the bedroom. She was alone and in a crisis.

Violated, tired, and completely inconsolable and if ever she felt sad before she'd ignore it and never let herself cry or let anyone see her cry. And here she was, doing what she didn't want to do but there was nothing else to do in a situation quite like this. She had never been here before, it was new. That was reason enough, she could feel the knots in her stomach forming as the symbolic wound of being stabbed in the back by Curtis like that. It was a deep and cheap shot and he had conquered over her. Another thought that crossed her mind, was the _Why now? Why am I just crying now? Not the night he did it, but every night after until Zig came into the picture._ Her life once again had a light. A beacon of hope, and meaning and joy and most of all love.

She wished he was here, but even then she doesn't think anything would ever right that wrong, even Zig was powerless to this monstrous blow to her seemingly happy go-lucky life. Things were finally better, she thought she had Curtis at bay and then here comes the crushing defeat.

She heard movement and stopped what she was doing as she surveyed the damage of the floor by the wall. It was a large hole in the drywall. She didn't care, as Alaina flew down the steps with Curtis, dressed with nothing underneath covered by a robe and he was wearing a wrinkled tee shirt. Her arms were crossed, she was cross as she looked confusedly at the blue screen on the television, her daughter not facing her and the wall kicked in.

"Zoe!" She hollered walking toward her to survey the damage, Zoe glared at her mother but didn't say a word. Alaina ignored her daughters scowling expression as she looked rather helplessly Curtis silently looked on, "What have you done to the drywall? Answer me. I want an explanation."

The young brunette just shook her head plainly and slowly, as if she didn't care, like her mind was somewhere else. Curtis faced Zoe looking at her putting his arms around her, "You know it's going to be fine, whatever it is? Did that nice boy break up with you dear?"

Zoe didn't look at him. She pulled him aggressively off of her as she walked forward, "Zig has nothing to do with this."

"I guess we'll have to wait until we get back, until then no one in the basement." Alaina said shaking her head exasperated, "What were you thinking?"

"She wasn't." He said looking at her disapprovingly.

She muttered under her breath, "I'm not _your_ responsibility."

"But you are _my_ responsibility, being as that I am your mom's new boyfriend." Curtis replied, "Aren't you? Tell her, Alaina."

Zoe looked at her mom with a bewildered expression, she wanted confirmation, her mom just avoided her eyes and looked toward the ground and nodded, "He will be moving in when we get back from vacation."

"Mom, he's bluffing." BUt when she didn't get that instant gratification in her response, she realized he wasn't bluffing. It was true. It was real and it was happening whether she liked it or not. She wasn't supposed to know about the video and presumably neither was Alaina. She had no idea what sort of ammo and bad media karma Curtis had in store for them. Dating him was saving them a world full of drama. "You can't do this!" Zoe exclaimed throwing her arms in the air.

"I'm afraid it's a bit late for that." He said cooly and poised thus making Zoe out to be a lunatic, gesturing to Alaina, "Plane leaves in two hours, better get a move on to the airport."

Zoe glared at them as Alaina passively left her daughter alone in the basement as she followed Curtis up the stairs, the door shutting behind them. She fell back onto the couch. She rolled her expressive brown eyes muttering, "Goodbye Alaina." She picked up her phone from the coffee table to text Zig because she needed someone to talk to and even though he was asleep if he woke up and saw her text he would answer. She knew him like that.

She opened up the text messages and typed out:

_Sorry to leave you all snuggled up, you looked so cute. I had a wonderful time last night, but now I'm back to reality. Apparently, fucking Curtis is moving in after they get back from that stupid cruise. Ugh, could some aspects of my life suck any more? I love you baby. Text me when you get this. xo I have something REALLY IMPORTANT to tell you. _

_. . . _

After Alaina and Curtis left, Zoe took a twenty or so minute cat nap as she was feeling exhausted after the stand-off with her mother and Curtis. It made any other boyfriend her mom had look like promising male prospects for a father figure and of course she had long since burned those bridges. It was much more than a daughter disliking her mother getting serious with a new guy. The new guy had violated her and placed them in a situation they couldn't just push their way out of.

She heard a knock at the door, remembering that Tristan was here to come set up the party. She dashed up the basement steps and swung open the door, surprised about what she saw next. Beside Tristan was a brunette girl, the other half of _The Westdrive Experience_. "You must be Tori."

"And you're Zoe Rivas! You were my favorite." Tori exclaimed freaking out, so clearly starstruck, she corrected herself adding, "Actress, actress on the show. I'm Tori Santamaria. Gatsby Garcia stan at your service." The curly-haired brunette gleefully put out her hand toward the doorway for Zoe to shake.

A smile played on Zoe's lips as she observed her own unfortunate attire, as she was meeting someone, a fan no less for the first time. She accepted the handshake as she replied, "It's a pleasure to meet you, come in you two."

"I hope you don't mind." Tristan apologized for the spur of the moment party guest, as he peeled off his parka as Zoe took their jacket's off their hands. "I figure more the merrier, right? She was Maya's friend too, she'll be surprised to see her."

"It's no big deal, I'm glad." Zoe said taking Tristan's jacket and Tori's jacket and hanging them on the hook beside the door, "You don't mind staying down here for a second while I get dressed in something a bit more . . me?"

"We'll be waiting." Tori answered her, before adding, "We'll go in the car in a bit to get the snacks and such in a bit but it's so cold out there and I'm starting to warm up now."

By the time Tori had finished her thought, Zoe was well up the stairs, from the balcony of her steps she called down to them, "Take a seat somewhere I'm just throwing on a shirt and some pants for now."

Tristan and Tori sat besides one another as Zoe disappeared into her bedroom. Tristan turned to his best friend in a hushed tone said, "And that's the girl I've told you about. The actress."

"She seems so . . sweet."

"She is. The shindig was her idea."

"Does Maya hate surprises?"

"That's sort of my point."

"Tris you are so evil." Tori replied shaking her head, "Has it ever occurred to you that she wants to make amends?"

"She's an actress." He said with downcast eyes still hushed, "I don't think honesty is in her vocabulary. Tonight as far as I'm concerned is a test, that she is for real. She tried a truce with Maya before, she had better mean it this time or so help me God. I will knock her down a few pegs if I feel it necessary."

"It's not your battle to fight."

"I kind of told Zoe if she can't be friends with Maya she can't be friends with me."

"That's rich." Tori replied.

Finally, the quieted down as Zoe walked down the steps calling out to them, "So what were you kids talking about while I was up there?"

"We had a lot of catching up to do." Tori answered kindly, even though it was far from the truth however Zoe didn't need to know about that part.

"You see, Zoe. Tori and I have been besties since grade school. Isn't that right?" Tori affirmed with a joyful toothy grin and a conscious nod. Zoe couldn't help but find the girl way too perky.

Perky Tori got up off the chair and looked at Zoe with squinted eyes as she observed, "What is that on your neck?"

"What?" Zoe asked confusedly, she was now in an outfit that exposed her shoulders, an off the shoulder cotton top with a pair of light was jeans. She whipped around to the mirror and gasped, covering it up with her hands,

"You see when I'd get them from my ex an ice-cube used to help a lot." Tori offered her help, causing observant Tristan to widen his already wide-eyes. He made the realization that Zoe is involved with Tori's ex-boyfriend and this likely wasn't going to go over well. He could only hope that he would have some popcorn while the fists would be flying.

"Thanks." Zoe replied, looking at the black and blue mark with a less than pleased souring expression, "We have a lot to do so maybe it'll fade in time and I'll do it in a bit."

"Sounds good." Tori replied as Zoe led them into the kitchen as they began cooking for the big sleepover. Zoe started taking out the mixing bowls and things for the treats, "I was thinking we could order things from Miss Steaks and make some brownies."

"Make them special brownies?" Tristan asked as he assisted her with the necessary ingredients, "Isn't your boyfriend your connect?"

"Well yeah, but I don't really know how to make them." Zoe replied.

"You have a boyfriend?" Tori asked in daze, still in disbelief that Tristan had the great pleasure of going to school with Zoe Rivas from _Westdrive_. She wanted to know everything about her, what she did for fun, her favorite music, song, what she did when she wasn't acting and even her boyfriend.

"Yeah, he's really sweet." Zoe said absent mindedly as she read the directions on the box of brownies.

"It's what smartphones are for though, we could find recipes."

"Doesn't the government track those things?" Tori asked.

"No . . " Tristan answered shaking his head, "Besides I'm not at my house."

"Oh so put me at risk, why don't you?" Zoe asked rolling her eyes as she opened up the box to get ready with the mix. Tristan googled it, and some results came up, he started reading off measurements but eventually Zoe got fed up and snatched his phone away to read it for herself, "I have to go get the stuff."

"Chill, Tori, I don't want her to think you're a weirdo." Tristan glared at where Zoe exited from.

"Sorry, I'm just really excited, like the time we went to the _Westdrive_ première. Wasn't it the most?"

"I don't like your new school, they turned you into a ditz."

"Oh nonsense."

Zoe reemerged with the goods, the weed that was in her bra from last night that she had since forgotten about, "How much they say we needed?"

"An ounce. At least."

"That's fine I got it." Zoe beamed, "We're in business." The two others cheered as they got started fixing up foods for the surprise party. Tori would rattle off references from Westdrive and fangirl about episodes that she considered her favorites. She even stumped Zoe herself on some little known tidbits. Zoe thought to herself, _Curits would know about that, considering that he wrote it_. The afternoon was off to a good start and that would mean that later would be even more entertaining later on once Maya makes her arrival.


	20. The Party Preparations Confrontation

Chapter 20

The Party Preparations Confrontation

"So tell me, Zoe is Degrassi as dramatic as Westdrive High?"

"To be honest, yes and no. It has its moments." Zoe said stirring the brownie mix mixture in a whisk replying to Tori's inquiry.

"Tori, we're doing _Grease_ this year for musical." Tristan beamed adding, "The rest of the cast . . the women anyway will be here."

"That's great. Who is in charge this year?"

"Becky Baker and um Imogen."

"Is she getting all Nepolian-ic like last year? Until Eli knocked her down."

"Nah, she's cool. We get free pizza at rehearsals. This old alumni teacher who left before we got there is also in charge. She casted the play, because they also are in the play. Kwan and stage crew would be responsible for staging and things. Some of the sets the lights are off so we could kind of get the actors to help with bringing in a chair or something or push the sets together and when the lights come up we'll be in our places."

"Sounds like you're doing just fine without me." Tori said fingering in the bowl and putting a circle of chocolate on his nose as she tapped him, she threw her head back and laughed and even Zoe cracked a snicker in her preoccupation with the preparations.

Tristan took a napkin from the pack of napkins and wiped off his nose as he listed off familiar-faces and formalities as far as the play was going, "So basically, Becky is our Sandy, this guy Miles is our Kenickie," Zoe rolled her eyes at that as he went on, "Imogen is Jan, Maya is Rizzo, I'm Putzie, Zoe is Marty, Zig is our Danny -"

"Zig . . ." Tori managed to trail off looking down for a moment, she scrunched up her face a second appearing to be in somewhat deep thought and extreme sadness or guilty expression on her face. Finally she looked up at Zoe and Tristan, "How is he?"

Zoe looked away to deflect something from her asking about her boyfriend, that's Zoe's territory and she could be quite territorial when it comes to him, "Isn't it weird all of us not hanging out with Maya today? I don't think-"

"Well _yeah_ of course," Tristan acknowledged but still kept tabs on Tori's question, she was silent afterward, Tori bit her lip and Tristan relented, "He's doing well, but brace yourself he's um _selling drugs_."

"_My_ Zig?" The curly-haired brunette questioned looking concerned, from the look of her face she was as surprised as Tris was when he wouldn't speak to him in home room and hung around with known ravine kids and even popular kids. Tristan never bothered to tell her, it's also not like she asked, "What is he selling?"

"You have got to be _freakin_' kidding me!?" Zoe raised her voice in a over-the-top questioning tone, as she turned around to look at Tori, Zoe pointed at her affirming, "Wait, I know about you. He _told_ me about you."

"_What_ do you know?" Tori asked innocently, but that just added fuel to Zoe's fire.

Tristan picked up the Almonds from the counter and started taking some out into his hands to snack on, _This is going to be good_, he thought to himself. One by one crunching away putting a dent in the bag as he watched the drama that would occur in front of him. He would of course he would ultimately take Tori's side in this battle, but watching this unfold would be fun. It's not _his_ drama, it's all theirs. Drama about _him_ wouldn't be _as_ fun, it's not like he has anything to lose.

"What I know is that, he _settled_ for you and that he really wishes he could've always been . . with _Maya_." Zoe watched Tori's eyes widen and her brows furrow as she counted on her fingers recounting what he had said, but what he said probably wasn't meant to leave the room in which he shared, "And _you_ dumped him, and now you're _jealous_. I think it's time you get over it, hunny." The worst part of what Zoe was saying was that it was a truth, and if Tori still tries to defend herself against her she's insane. "If I were you, I wouldn't still _pine_ for him."

"You're-you're joking, _my_ Zig who was in a relationship with me until he cheated on me with Maya it was only a kiss but we could've worked it - -" And then she retorted, "I am _not_ jealous. I do not pine. I'm just saying."

"You're a pretty girl. What about your new school? Guys would be lining up to date you . . ."

"I tell her that _all_ the time." Tristan agreed with her causing Tori to get irritated.

"Tristan! You _aren't_ helping." Tori retorted, blushing stamping her feet stubbornly on the wood floors in Zoe's kitchen.

"You are, just admit it. I can't help I'm honest."

Tori didn't say anything to add to Zoe's expose, her expression soured and her voice dejected. With Tori, she surely knew how to dish but she couldn't take the heat. Every time she would try to open up her mouth to say something in response, she just would decide against it. She ended up not responding, "Don't out bitch a bitch. I _like_ you, don't ruin it by holding dibs on your ex when you haven't thought of him in months. I don't want a problem with you, don't give me one. It might not seem like it but we have a lot in common. He's like _everything_ to me. Best friend, boyfriend and the most trustworthy guy I have _ever_ met."

Afterwards, the threatened one turned around to see Tristan's eyes wide and a mouthful of almonds, she scoffed shaking her head pretending to be unaffected even though she had just moments ago felt the later before walking up to the fair-haired boy and took his bag of Almonds for herself. She put a few into her mouth, she had nothing much to say. Zoe knew better, she had dealt with bitchier teen girls on the Westdrive set and unfortunately for Tori she was no match for Tori. She was right, you couldn't out-bitch a bitch. Zoe being the proverbial bitch in that situation.

Zoe was putting the mixture in the trays as the room was falling silent, she decided to save the day by changing the subject with a question, "How long do we put it in the oven for?"

"It says it depends on how potent you want them, the texture or type of brownies you want. Some people like them extra goey and some people like them with a bit of a crispness. It seems like when they're cooked longer they're less potent and if they're more or less goey they hit faster. I say somewhere in the middle, I don't want cardboard brownies."

"Sounds good so, what that's 15 minutes?"

"Sounds about right, don't ask me about math it's so not my strong suit." Tristan replied.

"Does your brother ever do this?" Zoe asked curiously, causing Tristan to jump.

"How you know Owen?" Tristan snared, disgusted that she would make such a dig. Tris takes a lot of offense when it comes to his never do-well brother, he aspires to be greater and not an embarrassment like Owen who didn't attend college, still hangs around his hometown like a townee and was a bully throughout school. Seemingly perpetually single and hasn't had a girlfriend since high school to speak of. Tris is one to talk however, he hasn't had one boyfriend but a few romantic interests who only see him as a friend. Owen feels as though he is better and it really gets on the younger fair-haired Milligan's last nerve. Complete polar opposites, Owen rarely takes his life seriously but Tristan does and Owen just takes a shit on his reputation which is everything to Tristan. If it were possible to switch out Owen for another boy to his be his brother, he'd do it in a heartbeat. Zoe could see the differences now that she had met him, but she'd save that story for herself, and never tell Tristan about their one and only run in. Owen knows about his younger brothers penchant for teenage melodrama and could only wish that he could be duelling drama like that and so when Zoe came to the ravine to make a purchase he knew just who she was in an instant. It's likely why he gave her such a hard time because he knew she had status. Which reminded her that she owed him money for the weed.

"Just answer the question, after all you're both a _Milligan_ and it's a small town."

Tristan relented stating, "Fine, but don't breathe a word of this. Not my finest moment to say the least. I've seen him do edibles. It's actually the safest way, that _is_ if everyone knows they're laced. When I was younger, I say I was still in eigth grade he made them for fun and I took one and it knocked me on my ass. It wasn't until he asked me if I took a brownie that he cracked up laughing and told me have a nice trip. I felt like I was going to die."

"Or we _not_ tell them so people eat them all and everyone has a good time." Zoe added putting on her oven mitts and placing the pans in the oven and shutting the door.

"That could be cool." Tori replied, setting her sights on Zoe, and then it made sense, "So _he's_ the boyfriend."

"I thought we were -" Zoe started to say to reject her from trying to fight with her over the deceased relationship, "Yeah, he is and _no_ you can't have him back."

"I . . I guess I didn't want to in the first place." Tori replied shrugging, "If I would pursue him it would be a waste of time. He clearly loves you. When we would watch _Westdrive_ he'd watch it for you. Not even for me. He'd sit with me, we'd have popcorn and make out a little but once the show came on it was like I wasn't there. Sitting next to him but it was all you. He was completely entranced in _you_."

"_Your_ Zig?" Zoe asked taking a bit of a tone mimicking Tori's talk of Zig always beginning with _my_ Zig.

Tori nodded hoisting herself up onto the counter, it was pretty easy because she was petite, "I guess I should really stop saying it. It's just he was my first real boyfriend. My longest relationship. I was _invested_, so invested."

"Sometimes I feel like I'm at a constant battle with Maya but deep down I think we could be real friends." Zoe confessed offering her a compassionate smile.

"She's like that you know, a _good_ friend. A great listener. It's a waste of time starting shit with her, because she's difficult about letting things go. Her worst is holding grudges until forever. She's stubborn."

"What do you mean?" Tori asked with concern cocking her head to the side like a dog when you ask a question, and they are enticed to find out out more.

"Homegirl is suffering." Tristan replied, being honest and serious for once. Vulnerable and sweet in a dignified way about him , with true concern for Maya, "She hasn't been the same in a long time, not since _Cam_."

"Who is Cam?" Zoe asked curiously.

"Cam was her boyfriend." Tori answered, expanding on the revelation, "Well her _real_ boyfriend. When she wasn't having it bad for Zig , when she wasn't dodging us to hang out because she couldn't stand to see me and _m_-Zig together, she had better plans with Cam." Tori sighed, "Cam I guess was mad because she was doing the pageant and or he acted a bit underwhelmed when she got all gussied up. Well the plan to do a simple fun girls weekend at the pageant she kissed Zig that night or he kissed her too, either way I got mad and didn't let anyone say their piece. I don't know how I didn't know that all that time he was just _with_ me. He was never with me. I was in denial for a long time."

"It's not like that." Zoe replied, "It's _different_ with me."

"Anyway, Cam took his own life, in the shed in front of the garden at school. A senior found him, Eli you don't know him, Zoe." Tristan continued where Tori left off, "Supposedly, before that he spent the earlier part of the evening with Maya. She blamed herself for him killing himself, based on logistics."

Zoe swallowed hard with quilt and sighed. She was pretty awful to her since they've met, as early as the first time they met at that concert. However, these were things Maya likely wouldn't appreciate her pf all people knowing about.

"So basically she doesn't get help, because truthfully she could use people to talk to but we're hoping tonight, Tori could get through to her that it wasn't her fault."

"I wanted tonight to be fun, not a meeting with the shrink." Zoe cocked her head making a face.

"_You_ have a shrink?" Tristan asked skeptically.

"No!" Zoe put up her defenses, "However, I knew people who did and sometimes the last thing someone wants to be is backed in a corner. People are like possums, they flip out when backed up into a corner. Put them in a situation where they have to be honest and the wriggle like a worm on a hook."

"I wasn't going to prose it so forthcoming, I was thinking with games and icebreakers things could be brought to light."

"It wouldn't be a terrible idea if eased in but, if she tenses up don't push her." Zoe stated plainly, "People don't want to be pushed, no offense Tristan you're a pusher."

"I am _not_."

Tori nudged him with her elbow, relenting, "I'm sorry I have to agree that Zoe has a point. You can be quite assertive."

"I thought that was a _good_ quality."

"In this situation, you'll scare her and who knows what she would do? I'll tell her what she'll do she'll blame me and regret forgiving me."

"What do you mean? It's your house."

"It's no secret that Maya and I just patched things up over the Chlamydia thing."

"You said I didn't miss all _that_ much." Tori sneered looking at Tristan.

"It's a long story, Tori." Zoe replied shrugging her shoulders, "Not today, today and tonight is about making happy memories and not going through shitty memories about events you'd rather forget."

"Maya had - - " Tori ignored them and tried to connect the dots outloud causing Zoe and Tristan much irratation and embarrassment. Some things are better left unsaid.

"Shut up!" Tristan jumped to reply covering Tori's big mouth to get her to take the hint that she's clearly bothering Zoe, she tried to talk over the constraint but eventually gave up when he didn't take his hand up off her mouth right away, "You going to stop asking questions that are _none_ of your business?" She nodded quickly and Tristan took his hand off her mouth. She crossed her arms once free to speak, defeated and aggravated glaring at Tristan.

"And you know what? If she gets mad, I'll just say it's you guys' idea. I won't take the blame. You always drop the ball on those conversations, we're her _friends_. You have to sometimes be assertive with friends. Especially when they're in a crisis. Sometimes they need the proverbial kick in the pants for girls, in the rear to get in gear."

"I think that's with guys." Tristan replied with a shrug. "Girls and guys aren't much different."

"Says the _guy_ who hangs out with all girls." Zoe replied, "I had a few guy friends on set. Not one-hundred percent straight either. Take Kalan, he's bisexual, maybe even a tri-sexual but I aint judging. He was the only person who would bother to tell me the massive amounts of shit the girls on set were talking about me. He was real with me when shit hit the fan."

"Because they are familiar territory, unlike regular guys. Put a guy in the mix with other guys you got douche, White Knights, straight piece of crap guys and the occasional _nice_ guy honestly, far and few between. If you don't have "_gaydar"_ your fucked and when you make an error it's like the end of the world and sometimes when they find out you're into guys they don't want to talk to you. Occasionally, you'll find a guy but he's never on your wavelength. With girls it's like, we have alike hobbies, we don't play contact sports unless it's a catfight but I'm a lover not a fighter."

"You're _like_ one of the girls." Zoe beamed, "I knew we'd eventually hit it off I just didn't know when. I had a buddy onset, _Oliver_."

Tori questioned, "Dean?"

"I met him." Tristan beamed in reaction, boasting proudly.

"And I _helped_."

"Lucky you." Tori responded clearly miffed that she wasn't invited but it wasn't like she was available she was starting her new school that week, "Zoe, did you know he has a crush on him?"

Tristan while Zoe turned around to the fridge to put away the eggs and take out some other fixings for the party checking on some of the cold dips she ready yesterday and other days leading up to the party, looked at Tori with an expression only she could understand. He was already feeling residual guilt that suddenly Zoe's hard exterior was melting and this was the most fun she had with him since she began going to school with him and Maya. However Zoe, was having some fun with people she had never expected to meet, people who used to be her fans and now her down to earth side shows and she finds she isn't so different. She did let her claws out for a few minutes, so now she knows she has Tori's respect and keeps her at bay on and on her toes. Tristan was seeing Zoe as more of a friend he could have and Zoe would be happy to know all about it.

"Thanks for helping out today." Zoe confessed to the two of them.

"Did I really hear a thanks?" Tristan smiled putting out his hand for her to shake, "Proud to say that I was right about you. You're a standup lady and I'd love to be your friend."

"Me too." Tori stood by Tristan, "Even if I won't be around as much. I live in another school district."

"What did I tell you Tor, when one of us becomes licenced drivers this won't be a problem anymore. At least when we hang out we're not interrupted by school and more school."

"True, so do I tell you what we like to do on the regular?"

"What do you two like to do?"

"We have Wednesday Night Skype dates to watch Westdrive."

"I have never met bigger fans than you guys." Zoe said shaking her head in reply, "I will say I'm like really flattered. I just can't take all the credit."

"Well, you and the writers I guess."

"My mom is uh dating one of them." Zoe said taking out the cutting boards and filling her kitchen island with them as she took out the vegetables to cut, "We're making a tray so you have the brocoli and cauliflower Tris and I'll take the red and green peppers and the carrots and Tori you can do the tomatoes and separate the lettuce. And we'll coin toss for the "

"Which one?"

"Curtis Fox."

"Oh the young one from season 10, he wrote 10x08 Cry and 10x20 Fallen For You before writing like all season 11 and 12 as head writer, both Cry and Fallen For You were Gatsby Garcia A plots." Tori replied causing Zoe to shake her head at her for knowing that much information. Curtis should be thanking her for his success. "The show got better under his control."

"Well I don't know about _that_ but it definitely got more realistic." Zoe said, singing one praise of Curtis. Under the older writers, the writing was too after school special, things teens would rarely say like often times in Dawson's Creek no one in that age bracket would be caught dead using outdated slang, "The scripts sounded like stuff people our age would actually say so it felt like we were almost . . _real_."

Zoe initially didn't want to talk about Curtis and she wished she hadn't let _that_ minor detail slip, however she was for the first time hanging out with a group who liked to talk, a group of extroverts and Tori when she wasn't in obsessive mode about Westdrive was fun to spend time with but they need to find a common interest that doesn't contain Zig and Tristan was surprising her that day with his kindness and helpfulness. They sliced up the vegetables and put them in the circular tray. After all of them were cut Zoe put in the dip in the center and refrigerated it. They tackled other things like the taco salad and the five layer taco dip for corn tortilla chips and finished up the cold cut trays before finally taking the brownies out of the oven. Tori made cookies, chocolate chip and Tristan made his world-famous triple-decker lasagna, "Zoe your kitchen is so awesome and huge. At my place we don't have nearly enough counter space."

"Why, thanks. I pretty much bought the house with my _Westdrive_ money."

"Lucky bitch, what does your mother do?" Tori said chewing on an almond and cleaning up the counter eyeing that picture over the mantle that could be seen from the kitchen.

"Drives me to auditions, school, I go to school since they killed me off."

"I'm sorry about that." Tori apologized for them, "You should-be stayed, it's not the same without you."

"You know, it was time I left. I had been on the show since I was in diapers. I lasted a long time but it's show business. I had to make room for the next."

"Zoe there's been this rumor going around that you were . . . fired and I didn't know how to bring it up . . . is that true?"

"Is what true?"

"Were you fired from _Westdrive_?"

Just as he asked, from the heavens came a distraction. A knock on the door, it must be the niner girls with goodies. The girls came in, there were four of them. The blonde girl named Stephanie, Frankie was there, then there's Mae and the last girl was named Amanda. They came with bowls of pre-prepared things, some had tins wrapped, and all came with gifts and their sleeping gear.

"Thank God for _Brownies_."

"We have them here." Zoe smiled thinking it would be obvious since the room smelled like brownies already from being heated up in the oven.

"No sweetie, Brownie scouts. I was a Girl Scout for like five years before it became uncool. I know how to tuck and roll my sleeping bag under my arm for hiking to our camping area."

"Cool beans." Zoe replied, although she had no idea what that meant "Hang up your coats on the thing by the door and just keep your gear by the door. Come meet me in the kitchen." She said as she took some of the bowls and tins, "So what dd you girls bring?"

Frankie replied first, "Well I brought a pasta salad. It was my mother's recipe. It's got shrimp in it."

"I brought a dip, it's like a bacon and cheese dip and crackers." Stephanie cheered.

"I brought a pub and Chex mix." Amanda replied.

A cacophony of voices echoed in the kitchen, Tori had just remembered she had left some things that she brought in the car, "I brought food I forgot about and a bit of a party favor."

The girls oohed and ahhed at that statement turning to Tori asking all the questions, "Wine, it's not a girls night without wine, so says my mother."

"Your mom is such a _wino_." Tristan muttered matter-of-factly, "Of course she'd say that. What did you bring?"

"Zinfandel, it's all I grew up around. It's nice. I like it with a bit of ice at the bottom of the glass." She looked at Zoe concerned, even though she didn't have to be but by the look on her face she looked a bit frightened, "It's not bad but if you don't want to - "

"I want to it's just, I hated Merlot." Zoe made a face sticking out her tongue, "Too dry."

"This is just . . pink. It makes you feel like pink. It's tasty." Tori replied, "I also brought tequilla and rum and vodka."

"Well look at you, Tori you're a one woman liquor store."

"Nah I just robbed the liquor cabinet at home. You know how my family rolls, Tris."

"We made a _Westdrive_ drinking game, two summers ago. Every single time Gatsby rolled her eyes - - "

"Chug." The friends said in unison.

Zoe laughed as well as her niner posse, who gleefully introduced themselves to Tristan and Tori. Tristan had seen them around but he hadn't hung out with them before, "What do you guys do when Gatsby gets a new boyfriend?"

"We take a shot." Tori answered.

"How about when she coos the word Sweetie?"

"Shot, for every 5 _sweetie _we chug."

"You guys are committed." Zoe reluctantly answers shrugging her shoulders uncomfortably, "Tor bathroom, please?"

"Uh sure." She replied as she led her to her bathroom and she took out her cover up and asked her.

"Could you do that ice-cube thing?"

"Are you inviting him over tonight?" Tori asked as she shut the bathroom door behind them.

"I uh, might. Just so Tris isn't left out, they know one another, right?" Zoe asked shrugging her shoulder after Tori went to the kitchen to grab an ice-cube from the freezer and wrapped it in a paper towel. As she balled it up in her hand, folding the paper as she whispered, "Should I stay still?"

"Yeah, stay still, so it doesn't accidentally slip down your blouse." She whispers as she slowly rests it, "The trick is to do some circular motions with some pressure with the ice-cube. It might sting because it's freezing. Your warm skin would melt the ice but keep the area cold. They faded by mid-day when I'd do it. So by tonight, they shouldn't be there anymore."

"Does he _always_ get carried away?"

Tori thought for a second and laughed, "Yeah, he had the tendency."

"Is that true what you said, Zig would _watch_ me?"

"I knew something was up when he would actually ask me, instead of me dragging him over on Wednesday's for _Westdrive_, What time is it going to be on? Or when he knew. Is when I realized that and I stopped watching with him. For all I know, I guess he started watching it by himself."

"Say my character did something God awful, he'd defend me."

"Precisely, like when Gatsby punched out the girl for looking at your boyfriend in season 10." Tori replied, "I know it probably felt great, since I knew you had tension with Meredith at that time because she was dating your ex and -"

"How do you know all this stuff about me and my character?" Zoe asked confusedly.

"Internet."

Zoe rolled her eyes agitatedly before agreeing internally that there was likely information on Wikipedia, since she couldn't move, she squinted her eyes irritated by the coldness of the ice-cube. Tori saw this and went a bit easier with less pressure, "How long we going to be at this for?"

"Until it melts a bit more, only a minute more."

"Okay, okay." Zoe nodded closing her eyes, "I think he and I are going to need to have a little talk on self-control."

The curly-haired brunette chuckled, "There's no way, it's like it goes in the ear but when you're making out on the couch and stuff gets intense he just forgets and goes hard on my neck. I've had worse than this, they were almost black and red for days. My parents would've killed me had I not worn a scarf everyday for a month."

"So they never found out?"

"It did look suspicious considering it was Spring and scarves were by then out of season. Fortunately for me, I had no pageants in the spring."

"That's actually pretty funny." Zoe snickered, finally standing up off the toilet seat, "I can't do that anymore, I can't take that much cold in one spot of my body for that extended amount of time."

"Oh well, it should work fine. I know the feeling." Zoe looked at her neck examining it to see if there's any progress, the skin was red where the ice had been so it hadn't taken shape yet. She dabbed the wet spot from the melted ice with a napkin before opening up her cover up and rubbing it on there with her hands.

"Zoe?"

"Mhm." She said preoccupied.

"You're really cool, and I'm not just saying that. The party for Maya it's a really cool thing you're doing."

"Oh this? No problem my mom is out-of-town so it's fine."

"And Zoe?" She asked again with a sad tone in her voice, "He's a great guy, he needs a girl to make him forget about status and love him for who he is. You do that. When he loves, he loves deep."

"You alright, Tor?" Zoe whipped around, Tori sniffled and Zoe didn't know what to do, she walked toward her and hesitated for a moment. Gatsby had done this thing called a hug a thousand times, meaningful and kind and Zoe couldn't figure out how to do this, "I guess this is the part where I hug you and say that there's plenty fish in the sea?"

"I wouldn't be worth much, for what it's worth."

"Why?"

"It'd be pity, I don't want you to pity me. I want you to like me." Tori said laughing over her tears.

"I _do_ like you, I just want to have you cut about 50% of your _Westdrive_ talk."

Tori sighed, "I'm just starstruck, sue me. Besides, Westdrive is like my favorite thing.

"So far I have heard nothing about you, while I love the ego boost I really wish you'd tell me about you."

"I am a pageant queen. I'm in beauty pageants."

"My mom was too. See, that's cool."

"Really? Did she win any titles?"

"Yes, but she really wanted to be an actress, so it wasn't very gratifying for her. Being good at something you hate must suck. So when I was born, she was grooming me to be an actress from birth. It's really all I know. I would've died to get into _some_ pageants but I didn't place so my mom pulled me out. I was busy, booked solid, I barely had a childhood. Mom would dress me in dresses and make me work, with a steady schedule of baby commercials and child modeling things I didn't have time for that. Then when I was a toddler I got my big break with _Westdrive_."

"I read in your bio about that. I always thought you were awesome because you were born to do that stuff."

"I got lucky. It's lonely somehow. I don't know why I am the way I am."

"I would _kill_ for your confidence."

"I think if you had more confidence, you'd kill."

"I always get the lowest marks on stage presence. My beauty is consistently good. My mom never had the funds when she was little to do them and if she did she'd do all the fundraisers. I still do fundraisers to make money for my gear but my mom wanted that for me to do what she did and what makes her happy but it just so happened that I love it."

"I think with acting came the sacrifice of ever having a normal life. Gatsby has always been so ingrained in me. I would say I would identify as her, all my major life experiences, my first memories were on that set. I was a central character's baby and another character's sister."

"I know that, I thought we were going to put the kibosh on _Westdrive_, huh?"

Zoe sighed snickering, "It's because _we'll_ be watching it, so it's like when you watch an old home movie of yourself. It's not that glamorous I promise. My awkward phase in living color."

"I'd say if you don't want to watch it, it's your house you can tell everyone what to do. Be the boss."

"I'm not the boss when my mom is here anyway."

"We're the guests in _your_ house. It's yours not ours. I can't believe I'm in a superstar's house . . . okay fine I'll stop."

"Thank-you. I can't get over how much you . . have such nice things to say to me, why are you so nice to me?"

"People deserve the benefit of the doubt." Tori said, "I had to listen to a lot of dislike for you between you and me. Between Tristan updating me on whatever went down in Paris and then a month or two later Maya wanting me to confront you online for the Facerange group, nice work." She added remarking that last bit of conversation with an air of sarcasm.

"Thanks, but no thanks. Zoe agreed matter-of-factually rolling her eyes at her recent dirty trick, "It wasn't really worth it, the trouble. It seemed like a good idea when, but it was poorly executed and I didn't cover my tracks as good as I could have."

"What do you say we get back out there, huh?" Tori asked smiling, "I knew you weren't a stone cold bitch like everyone said you were. I'm glad I got to see you in a nice light."

"Thanks, Tori, and yeah. I'll be right there." I have to use the bathroom, you head on out and help the niners out with whatever."

"Okay, see you out there." The brunette replied as she skipped on out back to the other girls who were hard at work preparing for the big party. In a few hours, the other girls including Maya would be arriving and there was still a lot to do. Zoe took out her phone and saw she had missed Zig's text.

_What is it is everything, okay? I know, you're busy so I don't expect anything from you right away but, I love you. The pillow on the other side of the bed still smells like you so I'm lying around today. I skipped as well for no good reason. Mind if I swing by later on? Let me know. I love you, baby, you're my princess. Last night was great ;) Could you do me a big favor and send me those pictures of us, I was going to go to the library and print one out to frame it for my bedroom. I could print one for your room too, whattdya say?_

_A smile played on her lips as she texted back, _

_All of the above. _

In a second text she added_,_

_ I love you, my prince. You make me the happiest girl alive rn. You won't beeeliiiiieve who is in my kitchen now. TORI! it's totally cool tho she's really awesome and stuff. _

_bUT WHAT I HAVE TO TELL YOU NEXT IS EVEN MORE GROSS BUT I'LL TALK TO YOU TONIGHT! __ofc you're more than welcome to swing by __yessss i'd love the pic and sure. when i get a chance, i still got a bunch to do. omg you're the sweetest thinggggg so lucky 2 have u xoxoxoxoxoxox_


	21. Party Crashers

Chapter 21

Party Crashers

With the party preparations through, they could finally start to relax and feel good about the party ahead, "Not bad for my first shindig," she remarked proud of the hard work, "Thanks everyone for the help now, we get dolled up for when the guest of honor arrives."

Zoe looked at her phone to check the phone and smiled at the bevy of texts from Zig. He just replied.

I keep trying to do some other things, like clean my room and do laundry but i just can't stop thinking about you. I love you.

"Who you texting, Zoe?" Frankie asked questioning, sort of nosy. She was smiling, it was somewhat of a dead giveaway.

Zoe looked up, "It's almost seven, someone has to swing by and pick up Maya and since Becky and Imogen are coming . . . I'll toss them a text." She started typing on her cellphone keyboard the details.

"It's almost party time." Tristan exclaims as he emerged from the kitchen placing some of the food on her living room table. They moved a card table out of the garage for beerpong before Zoe checked her phone in what seemed like hours since her last words from Zig. Zoe pocketed her phones and clapped her hands with excitement. The niners were still in the kitchen with the exception of Frankie who was at Zoe's side. If any of the girls were close, it was Zoe and Frankie who did everything together.

"It's so exciting, so far so good." Frankie beamed, nudging Zoe, "Was it him?"

Zoe looked at her validating her question, "It was."

"Tell me what he said!" Frankie whispered.

"Oh nothing, I just send him some pictures from last night, we hung out and took pictures - "

"And now you guys are Facerange official, that definitely calls for celebration."

"It really, really does." Zoe replied beaming, unable to wipe her smile off her face.

"What else happen?" Frankie pressed as the two girls sat on the loveseat.

"Well, I don't kiss and tell."

"Nonsense, you're one of my best friends. Details now!" Frankie beamed, "And he and I are ancient history, I'm not upset at all. You two are just so cute together."

"Yeah, I heard you had a bit of a thing for him, so maybe it's right I don't tell you."

"No, you aint getting out of this one easy."

"You kind of have to promise you take it to the grave . . . " Zoe trailed off, her voice kind of hinted it went further than intended but at the moment, in the moment going the distance felt right and good and this morning she felt safe in her decision.

"You did it?!" Frankie asked aloud.

Zoe hushed her, causing the young freshman to quiet down, "You went all the way, really? That's wonderful!"

"Yeah, it is." Zoe replied sighing, "It couldn't have been more than a perfect night."

Amanda swooped by, and sat on the arm of the couch chewing on a nacho, "You guys have to try that dip but, what _are _you two talking about?"

"Nothing, Amanda." Zoe replied, "I'd love to try some of your _fabulous_ dip."

Zoe started to do some last-minute clean ups as she admired her look from the living room mirror, she topped it off with her pink lipgloss as she heard a knock at the door, Zig texted:

_Open up._

Zoe opened up the door and it was him. He was here, here for her. She beamed, her eyes lit up and she was overjoyed to see him. She pulled him into a hug before pulling away and taking him by the hand in the house, no one was in the living room when she whispered something in his ear, "There's just one minor snag with you being here and all . . . . "

Tori emerged from the kitchen bringing out a box of crackers and from her surprise she dropped them onto the floor when she laid eyes on the mystery man guest, "It's you."

"Tori." He stated, he offered her a small smile testing the waters, last he saw her he was sure she hated him, but that was eons ago. So much has changed between him, since she left and even before she left.

Zoe just watched them silently interact, she backed away into the corner as he walked to her and she willingly walked toward him like nothing had ever happened between them. Perhaps it was a disaster for Tristan to invite her and for her to invite her boyfriend to the shindig. How was Zoe supposed to know that she still had a thing for him? Maybe she was just overreacting and they were just being cordial.

Zig gave her a friendly hug, and she followed suit, it was short and sweet and took some of the load from Zoe's shoulders, he pulled away, "I suppose the guest of honor is uh . . not here yet?" Zig asked as he pulled away from Tori.

Both girls shook their head, the girl standing before him Tori couldn't take her eyes off him. He was a stranger to her, he looked nothing like he used to look when he was _her_ Zig.

"You look good." Tori replied, "No wonder she likes you."

Zoe blushed and looked awkwardly down at her feet. Zig sensed Zoe's insecurity and raised his arm pulling her close to him to bring her more into the fold, he supposed. Perhaps he was feeling just as uncomforted by Tori's presence, "My new school . . . it's not like here."

"Oh right, what is that place like?"

"I am among the pretty and popular and I even have a new best friend . . nobody could replace Tris but I'm getting my license soon so maybe I could see you guys again when I drive up or whatever."

"That sounds like a sweet idea." Zig replied surprised that she was so okay with Zoe and him dating and things. He could tell there was so much on her mind, and yet she didn't seem the least bit hurt. Zig was much more observant and smart after all he dated her for nearly eight months and he knew the tell-tale signs. She was being genuine, "Right, Zoe?"

"This girl and I hit it off." Zoe replied, looking at Tori for clearance, "Aint that right, Tori?"

Tori nodded cheerfully, "Yep, we had some awesome Girl Talk."

"Oh yeah?" Zig questioned, "Anything about me?"

Tori looked to Zoe and beamed before looking at Zig, "Nope."

He furrowed his brow, less than convinced, "Well it's nice to see bonding I suppose, as opposed to hair pulling."

"Zig you came!" Tristan emerged from the kitchen. Zoe's kitchen doors were separated from her kitchen so that the surprise could be pulled off without a hitch, "I got a text from Maya who isn't sure why Imogen and Becky are swinging by picking her up?"

Zoe turned her head to call back to her, but Tristan pulled an unprepared Zig into a hug. Despite them going to the same school, not speaking for an entire summer all the while Zig thinking he sided with Tori and didn't like him anymore, and now he's giving him a hug and Tori is actually genuinely being nice this calls for celebration. All this time Zig felt like a loner in his own town and now the people who somehow played roles in making that even happen are now being kind to him once again and the best part is that they're being real. Burying old hatchets and other things, it might be a bad time for him to bring up this next bombshell he wanted to add, "I sort of invited my friends."

Zoe closed her eyes with the swirling inquiries, invites and Maya not putting stock in this at all, she took a deep breath, "Tris say we're having a cast party for Grease."

"Wouldn't Miles be there?"

"No because he's not invited."

"Whos Miles?" Tori asked, her eyes lit up. Boy crazy as always with a phobia for being the single-gal she already liked the sounds of a certain boy before she even laid eyes on him.

"Miles is an asshole, not to be trusted."

"Why do you guys hate him so much?" Tori asked.

"He's Maya's ex, and he's bad news." Zoe said in reply, making Tori flinch, "Okay everyone in the kitchen, I'll stay here and guard the door."

Tristan, Zig and Tori had a lot to talk about, so they waltzed into the kitchen as Zoe guarded the door but another car, a car she didn't recognize to be Imogen's rolled into the driveway she face palmed. A full car of teenage cronies, causing Zoe to turn her head to call out to Zig, "Your buddies are fucking here and they're going to ruin the surprise, you mind?"

"Stage crew?" Zig asked.

"It would work if they were actually in stage crew?"

Zig opened up his cellphone, his dinky little flip phone in a world of smart phones. He wasn't complaining, after all a phone is a phone but he still felt insecure as everyone was on their smartphones around him crowded in the kitchen, he texted them to park up the street so it didn't look suspicious. Zoe beamed as they moved their car elsewhere but came up the driveway quickly. Zig must've let them know they were right on time for the surprise.

Zoe let them in asking them their names, the girl stood out to her. Zig had friends who were girls, she wondered to herself as the girl made a face at Zoe, she nervously looked at her. It was just what she needed someone who disliked her in her own home, her voice was laden was snark as she stated, her arms crossed, "I know you."

"You haven't crossed my mind."

"You made the Facerange page, and it's Grace by the way."

Zoe took her snarky ways as a challenge, she walked up to her being just as tough, she was chest to chest with her, causing the guys who were your typical cronies to chant _OOOOH_ and make side comments, "Should I call you Grace or By-the-way."

"I hope this party is as much as a blast as it's advertised as because," she looked around, "I invited some people."

Zoe couldn't help but look behind her to see another car inching toward the house, she pushed them into the kitchen, "In the kitchen, in the kitchen."

"Okay okay, no need to be pushy." Grace says rolling her eyes, "Come on guys, I wonder if some munchies are in the kitchen." In seconds they disappeared causing Zoe to whisper to herself with a celebratory motion, "Yes!"

The car that was coming was indeed Becky's. Zoe stood in the crook of the door, she quietly announced, "Quiet back there, okay, now on the count of three we have to yell when the door opens, and the lights go on okay?"

"What do we yell out, Zoe?" Grace tested her patience.

"Surprise!" Zoe says, while the light was flicked.

Becky, Imogen and finally Maya stepped into the room and looked about, "Why is it so dark in here, guys?"

Zoe flipped on the light and everyone yelled, "Surprise and emerged from the kitchen?"

Maya covered her mouth in surprise as her eyes widened with wonder seeing all of her friends and a bunch of people from school, "Oh my Goodness. Zoe?"

Zoe emerged from the door and faced Maya, "You surprised?"

Maya nodded, smiling the entire time, she pulled Zoe into a huge tight hug whispering, "You did this for me?"

Zoe nodded in the hug before pulling away, "Happy birthday."

"Thank you so much Zoe." Maya said gleefully as she pulled out of the hug, "I'm glad everyone kept it a surprise, I don't hate surprises anymore, not like this. It's got everything, food, friends and entertainment."

Everyone pat Zoe on the shoulder, all of them thanking her for the great party and the idea that brought them happiness. A feeling of joy and accomplishment washed over the bright-eyed brunette whom always wanted friends and now she has friends a-plenty and she's never felt more full of joy in her sixteen years and now Maya is turning the not-so sweet milestone.

Zoe decided to get to the first order of business, which is drinking, she turns to Tori, "Why don't you pop open your bottle of wine?"

"Sure thing." Tori made her way to the crowd by the door standing behind Zig at first before answering to Zoe's demands.

Maya squealed and turned around behind her and saw Tori who pulled her into a hug, "I had no idea you were in town, how long have you been back?"

"I just got in today, I have some great news though: I'm going to be starting at Degrassi. My parents officially got separated as of a few days ago and they're headed to divorce so I go to my dads a few days out of the week so I'm attending Degrassi effective immediately. Isn't that great?"

"It's . . well . . something." Maya said surprised."I mean, insane. It's so great."

"Great tonight is like a brand new start." Tori says as she takes the corkscrew out of her pocket and opens up the bottle, before making a countdown, Frankie came over with glasses and Tristan joined in as did the other party goes Amanda and even Grace the outsider and the new comer. Zig's friends turned to him and asked, "I wonder if they made any sweet treats."

Tristan overheard and whipped his head to look at them, against his better judgement he lulled to them in a low whisper as Tori poured everyone a glass, "

"Now on the count of three everyone is going to clink glasses and say 'to new beginnings'"

"I like that." Zoe replied, "how about it Maya? Why don't we do a toast to our birthday girl Save the new beginnings for our first shot of the night."

"I can make a buttery nipple, I'm going to bartender school. They're sweet."

"Aren't you a junior?"

"I got held back what's it you?" Grace challenged, she was a rough and tumble ride or die chick. When you were her friend and ally she'd defend you to the death but if you weren't watch out she has her loyalties and she will royally fuck your day up if you let your guard down. She would take you to the cleaners, a born kleptomaniac. She's harmless though, and she almost always brings someone something better, a Robin Hood effect but she'd never steal from a friend.

"Well, that would be awesome." Maya said.

"I also brought my bong and some before munchies time drugs."

"We did make some special brownies." Tristan called before looking to his right at Zig's man-posse who giggled stupidly at the remark, the white-haired boy had hinted around and they were going to have a night, alright.

"I could uh pack it up, Grace."

"I could do it myself." Grace replied rashly as she pulled back on it as soon as he picked up her bong from the living room table.

"I didn't say you couldn't?" Grace wasn't the most kindest girls, but if she respected you enough you would know the difference of her general consensus of you. If she didn't like you, you would know because she'd get drunk enough and start a fight with you. She's an alcoholic, and has been for quite sometime but because she spends her days boozing and getting herself virtually numb and unsuspected she's golden for that one sweet day. Grace loves to drink, she drinks like a fish and curses with a sailor, she's a mean drunk with a mean streak and a death wish, on those nights she ends up clearing a room after it erupts into madness. She's a forced to be reckoned with, a loose cannon and she will rock you like a hurricane doesn't matter if you're a boy or a girl you're a black belt, because so is she. She grew up with older brothers, all of them into the sport she was also into hockey but her new school Degrassi, oh did we mention it's her first school? Yes, Grace's father is a general in the Canadian Army but now he works off the battlefield and in offices. They're loaded but you wouldn't see by Grace's way of obscure tastes and fashion choices in her clothing. Her parents hate it but they're not around half the time, she's largely alone and she sort of likes it that way. There's always seems to be a cloud of bad luck, a string of failed romances, lost friendship due to her kleptomaniac ways and her psychotic drunken episodes. Only Zig and her guys and whoever was unfortunate to be at any of those parties. Preppies like Maya, the legacy younger spawns of notable Degrassi alumni Katie Matlin who broke the soccer record and track records for years to follow, so far no one has beaten her since her intro year and cheerleader turned head cheerleader turned emotional basket case, Darcy Edwards who since moved to Kenya and never turned back, and then straight to university where she lived in a monastery, tuition paid in full by her church due to her good marks while she was in high school and attended school abroad. She loves it there and that's why she never bothered for a visit. She has all brothers, all in the law, been to prison in and out for most of her life he was the oldest, Dave, the second oldest is a drug-dealer and his drug of choice is heroin and he is horrible addicted when he isn't in prison he's looking to score, her other brother is into ATV's and bikes and he sits in the house and smokes all day. He's on probation and uses her pee to test out of his tests since his license is revoked for driving under the influence and found with drugs in his car.

Zig scoffed shrugging his shoulders, "Please don't act up tonight."

"I won't. I'm sticking with this, after all it's only when I mix, and I mix because we don't have enough of the same shit."

"Okay, okay." Zoe said in reply causing them to stop arguing, "I want to propose a toast for Maya, she's slowly but surely came to be one of the most trustworthy, kind and sweet girls I've come to know. We didn't always get along and our friendship is still new and full of obstacles I know if I could take back a lot of things I did to her and I know she'd feel the same we'd absolutely want to start fresh. I will never know someone who impressed me so much with their bravery and head-driven goals as I see with her. So, happy sixteenth birthday, Maya. Drink up."

All of the people clinked glasses and Tori downed hers almost immediately. Everyone shifted their attention to her, she giggled before grabbing the bottle by the nose and pouring it. Inside she was screaming, Zig had moved on and it was clear and obvious as they started canoodling in plain sight. Zoe and him were hugging and swaying but she pretended not to notice so drinking was helping with that. Tori was single and having bad luck with boys, all the boys she was interested turned out to be not-so single but they were nice enough and she started spending time with them as well as their girlfriend, catching the boys they set her up with but always end up not working out in the end.

Grace gulped down the remaining as Tori finished pouring she got more in her cup, the clinked glasses again and drank. Maya plopped down on the couch and Tristan started unloading the presents from everyone, Maya got a joint from Zig, a charm for her charmbraclet to start it and the bracelet itself, Zoe threw her the party and got her a gift card from The Dot. Frankie and the girls got her some earrings and bracelets and Tristan got her a charm for the bracelet and a gift card to The Dot.

Just then Frankie heard a knock at the door everyone was distracted on the couches, but an uninvited and unwelcome guest came to the party, it's Miles and he's clearly a drunken mess. He had a bottle of liquor and he reeked. His face was still beat up and it had been days since he was last at school, and he was the last person everyone would've wanted to see. Frankie knew this, she looked behind her and saw no one noticed her slip by she pushed him outside, "Get out of here."

"Please, I need to see Maya, it's really important." he slurred, shouting, "I love her, she needs to know that!"

She held her hands in front of her in a blocking stands, "You're a mess, Miles run along home, dad is going to be pissed if he sees you out."

"What you going to narc on me for raiding the liquor cabinet, I feel like you want to see me get beat. At least with these bruises, they didn't come from fucking dad. Consider yourself lucky, if I had shit on you I wouldn't rat you out. You know why? Ethics."

"Stop _embarrassing _me, I want to make it here, in Degrassi. I want friends and I have them and if you waltz in there and act like a drunken buffoon I will never be able to show my face at Degrassi again!" She exclaimed, "I will stick Zig on you so fast."

"If he fucks me up again, I'll go the authorities, go informant and tell them about his drug ring at Degrassi."

"You wouldn't . . " She said cooly.

"Let me in then, little sis." Miles cooed pushing her into the door, before guzzling about a shot from the bottle, swinging it around, "If Zoe knows what's good for her, she'll let me stay too."

"You're an asshole, I hate you."

"Right back at you, but I'm a man of my fucking word." Miles sneered, "You know it's Zoe's fault, right? The secrets out, her secret is out. She's a little fucking whore. She gave me chlamydia don't let the fame steer you."

"What are you fucking talking about? You sound like a madman."

"You didn't hear me? I'm your brother." He hollered louder as she pushed him, causing him to fall, "Zoe Rivas," He screamed cupping his mouth to amplify from the ground, he took a sip and hiccupped, he coughed from the stingy liquid hitting the back of his throat and the cold, wearing just a short-sleeved striped polo, stained from some mishandled booze. White and navy, he looked like an absurd sailor who is flagged, or should be flagged, "she gave me chlamydia."

"You're a fucking liar, don't you dare say that about her."

"Ask her." He dared, pursing his lips nodding, "Ask her, and you'll see I tell you no more lies." He was trying to get his footing but he was wasted. Zoe heard commotion outside her front door, her neighbors would likely call the cops on the little powwow so she stepped in the door frame and observed a bruised, drunk and clearly shaken Miles ranting and raving at her front porch with a cold and coatless Frankie deeply engaged in a shouting match.

"It doesn't matter, she's more of a sister to me than you a brother."

Miles didn't say anything, he breathed in and out slowly, he felt gutted. He couldn't think of much to say, he muttered a few obscenities and inaudible before looking up at her, he closed his eyes before he spoke and reopened them as he opened up his mouth, "So that's how you feel, huh? I guess I'm out."

Zoe walked outside, she had heard enough of the conversation to see that Frankie was giving him the boot for her own reasons, putting words in Zoe's mouth but they were what she would've wanted in Frankie's defense, "Miles . . " she sighed knowing she'd regret this but just this once, "Come in."

He turned around, he furrowed his brow, he bit his lip feeling suddenly guilt-striken for the vile things he had said and done to Zoe. It ultimately resulted to where they are now, bitter enemies but Zoe knew how to let it all come to pass and end. She surrendered, gave up the fight and just said, fine. Holding grudges weren't good for anyone, especially Zoe. She groaned, "I know I'll regret it but, come inside. No one is going to mess with you. Besides, you're already drunk, I'm on my way to being drunk and we're all having fun. There's food."

"You mean it?" He walked toward the house. Frankie didn't say anything, but then when she saw him pass her by.

"Zoe, what about all the terrible things he's done?"

"Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong, the weak cannot forgive." Zoe replied, beaming, "I believe myself to be strong."

Zig looked to Zoe squinting his eyes at what he saw next, the guys and girls were playing board games and doing shots, when in came Miles and suddenly the roaring laughter, the straight faces came on and furrowed brows. He nervously stood before everyone with his head down, "Want some more?"

Miles shook his head, "I'm here to wish Maya, the happiest birthday. And I wanted to hand deliver my greeting, to you."

"What if I don't want it?" Maya shouted, "You know for one day, I wish you wouldn't make me feel like shit over our break up. When you just disappear off the face of the Earth - "

Tori couldn't help but find herself entranced in the young, downtrodden man who smelled of whisky and looked quite disheveled, drunk and a mess. He was clean and lean but she found something in him that nobody saw. She just watched him and his mannerisms, the way he pushed his longer piece of hair up front to the side, how he smiled close-lipped, how he looked about sheepishly like a small puppy dog who had lost his way and yet she was slowly finding herself smitten with the boy who crashed the party. He had a history with Maya, but in her defense so did Maya when she herself was with Zig. Girlcode isn't a thing when it comes to Maya and Tori, that bridge had already been burned but she had no ill-will. Besides, Maya appears to hate him. Her tongue was spiked with truth, she was just keeping the anger flowing.

"I just wish you'd know I never, ever wanted to hurt you."

Frankie just watched him, her arms crossed as she leaned against the wall mortified scowling, angry at the situation, that him being there makes her look bad because of their relation.

"It doesn't change that I will always be tainted even though . . I'm cured and thank-god it was able to be."

"You think I don't know how that feeling feels?" He hollered back.

Imogen looked at Becky, and she at her they both looked at their empty glasses before Becky whispered, "I am way too sober for this," Becky went to the table and picked up a brownie for each of them and some jungle juice before trekking down the basement to be alone. Everyone else remained transfixed in Miles' breakdown for the world to see. Frankie just left them to it and dashed into the kitchen. Zoe watched with concern, she wanted this to stop. She thought hating Miles was mutual between everyone, especially to her, how come she suddenly felt so guilty?

"It's not my fault I got it."

Maya scoffed, "What did she have a gun to your head to fuck you without a condom on and then you lied to me and told me that you never did that before. That you kissed fifty girls and one Tristan after I said I was inexperienced and you implied that it carried over to you?"

"I never said I was celebrate, Maya! Even I was, that was when Zoe and I were together. If there's anyone you should royally be pissed at it's her."

"Excuse me, but Zoe tried to be my friend, she didn't try to get into my pants from day one, unlike you."

Zoe was burning up by the second, all she wanted was for everyone to change the subject, anything, she was either going to explode into rage and tell him off, to get out because the people were starting to whisper. The niners, the girls who built up things about her.

Frankie ran to him at once and pushed him onto the ground, "You said you wouldn't!"

She burst into tears suddenly, she was so angry. She was still high from the brownies so everything just seemed to be so intense for her now, her pain multiplied, "Go home no one wants you the fuck here. Get out of here."

"Kill yourself." Zig's cronies chanted laughing, even Grace joined in who was too inebriated to know what she was doing. Normally down to earth, she just stuck with things as they are.

Zoe covered her ears observing the chaos and commotion transpiring in front of her. The party is quickly becoming a ginormous failure as there was unrest in the once promising party. Miles was not to be trusted, he is to be ostracized, "Boys go to it, get him out of here."

He looked around and tried to make a run for it into the kitchen but the heavy, Zig and his boys picked him up from shoulder to shoulder before Frankie could get him with a few hits, she was inconsolable, Zoe reluctantly pulled her toward her into a hug as Zig and his friends took him away to beat him up before returning to the party, to salvage what's left of it that is.


End file.
